A thin line between love and hate
by Miss-Little-Dhampir
Summary: Rose finally gives Adrian a chance, but then a new girl comes along and bears a surprising grudge against Adrian. The new girl has a secret that puts them all in danger, and Adrian finds himself falling for her.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter one: The dream.**

**Rose P.O.V.**

**I had settled down that night with the high hopes of **_**not**_** being visited by Adrian. I mean, seriously! Does that guy have a life outside of drinking, smoking,…and me?**

**My dream blurred, and I suddenly found myself sitting in the ski lodge where I first met Adrian.**

**I sighed. "Where are you Adrian? I know you're here." I looked around the ski lodge. It appeared to be daytime, and the view of the frost-covered mountains was stunning.**

**Adrian immerged out of the trees, sporting a smirk that hid his fangs. He wore shorts today-something that was highly unusual for him.**

**I raised my eyebrows. "Five nights in a row? Wow, I'm impressed." I said sarcastically.**

"**Little dhampir, I could do this forever." He said slyly.**

**I sighed. "Shoot. I was hoping that you would be bored of me by now."**

**He snorted. "Impossible."**

**I turned away from him and looked at the scenery again. At least while in Adrian's dreams I could count on seeing the sun. Following the Moroi's nocturnal schedule was a real pain in my behind, and I was beginning to crave the sun as much as I might crave a double Big Mac.**

**I turned to him. "How do you not miss this?" I asked as I gestured outside. "All this sun is so…so beautiful.**

**He turned thoughtful, his green eyes brooding. He smiled at me again. "You can't miss what you never had. Anyways, what's so great about the sun. It's hot, blinding, and makes me sweaty. Kind of like you." He said deviously.**

**I rolled my eyes. "How many women have you used that line on?" I asked.**

"**If I knew you were going to make me count to impossible numbers, I would have left you alone. There's a reason I don't like school."**

"**You go to school? I always figured that you just bummed around all day and did absolutely nothing." I said mockingly, with a hint of actual curiosity.**

"**College graduate, little dhampir. I finished school last year." He said proudly.**

**I frowned. "Than shouldn't you have a guardian. Actually, shouldn't you have **_**two**_** guardians?"**

**His smirk turned into a full out grin. "Like I've said before Rose, I'm above all the rules. I didn't want a guardian."**

"**Are you serious? All that alcohol must have affected your brain or something, because that is the stupidest thing that I've heard since Lissa named her pet rock 'Dolly'." I snorted.**

"**Lissa had a pet rock named 'Dolly'? And you think I have problems?" He said mockingly.**

**I put my hands on my hips and tossed my hair around. "Adrian, I don't think you have problems, I **_**know**_** you have problems."**

**He sighed and put on a hurt expression. "Oh Rose, why can't you come without thorns?"**

**I snorted. "Great flower analogy. Can I go sleep now?" I asked.**

"**You ask that question every night, yet you know perfectly well that you are sleeping." He said slyly, as he took a step towards me.**

"**With all the mental stress you put me through in these dreams I might as well be awake." I retorted.**

**He walked forward and stopped when he was a few inches away from me.**

"**Whoa there buddy!" I exclaimed as I backed away with my hands held up in a 'back away' gesture. "I know I said that I would give you a chance… but still."**

**He pouted and gave me big, huge puppy dog eyes. It was kind of cute-not that I would ever tell him. "Aw, Rose, you're so mean. I haven't had any pleasurable human contacts in weeks. I think I deserve some gratitude."**

**I snorted. "Gratitude my ass. And you so have had pleasurable human contact." I said haughtily.**

"**Oh yeah? Who?" He challenged.**

"**Avery. You know, the girl who you chased after every day? The girl who went absolutely ass-crack crazy after you two destroyed her two shadow-kissed companions?" I said with a roll of my eyes. **

"**That wasn't pleasurable human contact. That was forced human contact." He said with a shake of his head and another step towards me. Where did he get the confidence from?**

"**Than what is it?" I asked.**

"**This." He said as he leaned down and pressed is lips to mine. His lips were warm and soft, but not as pleasing as Dimitri's had been. I didn't pull away because I **_**had**_** promised to give him a chance, and I didn't want to hurt his feelings. His hand was making its way down my back when I woke up with a start.**

**A hand was pounding furiously on my door. I groaned. Whoever was waking me up at six in the morning on a Monday was going to get a kick in the ass.**

"**Rose, Rose! Get up quick!" Lissa exclaimed from behind my door. Her voice was frantic and excited.**

**I got up, my movements clumsy from being asleep. I tripped immediately and got a mouthful of carpet.**

**Lissa, I am going to kill you. I got up and went to the door.**

"**What do you want?" I grumbled as I opened the door. Lissa's pale, beautiful face was alight with excitement.**

"**It's here. It's finally here!"**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two.

Adrian's P.O.V.

I think I love her. Oh, Damn, I did _not_ just say that.

I sighed. I might as well face the fact that I, Adrian Ivashkov, the man that had sworn to eternal bachelorhood, was falling in love. And with a badass dhampir nonetheless.

It was at times like this that I really needed a drink out of a bottle that started with a 'Jag' and ended with an 'ermeister'.

I walked over to the mini fridge that all rooms had and opened it, searching for something that would calm me down and block all of these god awful auras from bothering me. The more I practiced spirit, the more I was able to sense them, even if that person wasn't in the room with me.

As I was about to open my fridge a tiny paper caught my eye.

_Remember your promise_

_-Rose_

Ah, so my little dhampir cared enough to leave a note…however it isn't much appreciated. So what if I had promised that I would stop drinking-as much? Didn't this count towards the 'as much' category? I opened the fridge anyways. _Remember your promise._

I groaned. Well, fine, but if she was going to ruin my morning, than I would ruin hers.

I went back into my room and pulled on a sweater and jacket. I couldn't get the kiss out of my mind-or the fact that she didn't try to punch me. I was more than a little eager to see if I would get a repeat if I showed up at her room.

The walk to her room was quiet, and I found myself wishing for some sort of company. I must be turning soft.

I got to Rose's room only to find the door wide open with an excited Lissa practically shrieking and jumping up and down.

"If I had known that there was a party I would have brought some champagne." I said dryly.

Rose poked her head out of the doorway, looking annoyed. I assumed that Lissa was the one that had woken her up from our dream.

"What's gotten you so frazzled?" I asked Lissa. "Aren't you supposed to be the mature, boring one?"

Lissa smiled and opened her mouth to say something, but Rose cut her off.

"Are you guys just going to sit out there like ducks or are you going to come in?" She snapped irritably.

I chuckled. "I think she means business, Liss. We better go in."

We all walked into Rose's small room and sat down. Lissa claimed the bed and I grabbed the chair.

Rose walked into the bathroom and changed. She wasn't a morning person, and I could tell that Lissa had definitely pissed her off. She spent longer in the bathroom than was necessary. I turned to Lissa.

"So, what's got you so excited-besides seeing me, of course."

She rolled her eyes, but answered. "There's a new girl here. She just came today." Lissa told me this in a stage whisper, like she was afraid that someone would over hear her.

This time it was me who rolled their eyes. "Jesus, Lissa. A new student, wow. That's amazing."

She grinned. "You're going to say that again when yo see her, but this time you're going to be awed. She is…." She stopped speaking, at a loss for words.

"I never figured you for the type to be into girls, Lissa." She socked my arm lightly.

I pulled out my cigarettes and lit one. The auras were making my head hurt.

"Rose is going to get angry." Lissa warned me. I shrugged.

"Why is Rose going o get angry?" Rose asked as she walked out of the bathroom while pulling her hair into a ponytail. She saw my cigarette and frowned murderously.

"If you're going to smoke that little shit than get out of my god damn room." Rose growled.

I shrugged and dropped it into an ashtray. Why would she even have an ashtray if she didn't smoke?

Rose's eyes glared daggers at me, and Lissa inched silently out of the room.

"What _the hell_ do you think you are doing?" Rose asked angrily.

I squirmed uncertainly. What did I do. "Um, I put my cigarette in this very conveniently placed ashtray."

She exploded. "That wasn't an ashtray, moron. That was a gift from my mother!" She stomped angrily over to the 'bowl' and emptied it into the sink.

"What the hell is the point of having a random bowl sitting in the middle of a coffee table?" I exclaimed.

She shrugged. "Decorative purposes?"

"It must have been there to tease me." I joked, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

She tried to conceal a grin, but failed. I took her smile as a confirmation and reached towards her. She came willingly to my arms and I pressed my lips to hers. I had waited so long to be with her like this, so long…. When I felt that my lips were going to bruise I heard a knock on the door, this one timid.

I groaned. "Ignore it."

She grinned. "I can't. It's Lissa, and I have a feeling that she won't leave me alone until I see this 'new girl'. I swear, she gets excited over the weirdest things." Rose moved away from me (sadly) and opened the door.

Lissa stood there, tapping her foot impatiently. "Now that you two are done bickering, can we _please_ go to the cafeteria?"

Rose raised her eyebrows. "I thought you wanted to go see the newbie?"

Lissa huffed impatiently. "Jesus Christ. She's in the cafeteria. Now come on!" Lissa said as she grabbed Rose's hand and pulled her out of her room.

"Hurry up, Adrian!" Lissa yelled over her shoulder as she ran down the hall with Rose.

I snorted, remembering how much I hated running. "Ya, right. I'll meet you there." After all, pretty boys don't run.

Rose P.O.V.

I ran into the cafeteria with Lissa and let her drag me to the table where her boyfriend, Christian, sat.

I smiled a him. Considering our usual snarky relationship, that was the equivalent of a bear hug.

"Sleeping Beauty finally get's up." He said sarcastically. I rolled my eyes. 'Sleeping Beauty' was his annoying nickname for me.

"So, where's the gorgeous eye candy that Lissa was going on about?" I asked Christian.

His ice blue eyes looked at Lissa with a surprising softness. Than he looked at me. "She's over there." He said as he nodded his head in a direction.

My eyes followed his nod, and than I froze. I have had many boys tell me that I was the epitome of hotness, but this girl…wow. She was gorgeous.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter three.**

**Rose P.O.V.**

**When most Moroi looked at me they thought "Hey! Sexy Dhampir chick, I want some of that." However, I was betting my stolen silver stake that all of the Moroi guys were thinking the same thing, but tacking on a "I'm going to ask her to marry me." at the end. I pouted, and Lissa caught my expression.**

"**Jealous?" She asked, grinning.**

**I scoffed. Yes. "No, of course not."**

**I returned back to staring at this girl. She was wearing tight jeans and a tank top. Her skin had the same exotic coloring as mine, but was a shade or two darker. Her hair was long and silky, but was a wildly curly mess that reminded me of n Amazonian. She wasn't facing me, but I could guess that her face was just as gorgeous as her body.**

**She was standing beside Stan Alto (a.k.a. pain in my ass guardian), and it looked like they were arguing. The same vein in his forehead that he got whenever he yelled at me was throbbing.**

**I smiled. I guess the new girl didn't agree with Stan either.**

"**Hathaway!" Stan barked. My smile faded, what had I done now?**

**I got up from the table and sighed. "Yes, Guardian Alto?" I asked as I approached him and the new girl. He nodded towards her.**

"**This is Marie Gavrilesca. Show her around, or whatever." He shrugged and walked away. Marie looked horrified.**

**I faced her, and gasped. He face was so beautiful I felt my self esteem shrivel into nothingness. Her face was smooth, and flawless, from her straight nose to her soft chin. She had full lips that had a sensual pout to them, and her eyes…. They were like melted silver mixed with emeralds. Silvery-green. They looked deadly and striking.**

**She blushed under my scrutiny. I grinned at her and offered my hand. "Hi, I'm Rose Hathaway."**

**She reached for my hand with red coloured nails. I wondered how she would hold up in training.**

**She opened her mouth to say something and than frowned and looked over my shoulder. I turned around and followed her gaze. Jesse Zeklos and his ass crack ugly sidekick Ralf were headed this way. Jesse's eyes shone with recognition and a dirty sort of contempt. I wanted to punch that smirk off his face.**

"**Marie." He said in a tone that indicated he knew her. She nodded briefly at him, and stepped towards me. "Come sit with us. You don't have to hang around with a blood-whore and her crazy friends.**

"**No offence, Jesse, but it sounds like you're describing your dad, not Rose." Marie said with a disgusted scowl.**

**I chocked back a laugh. It looked like Marie and me were going to get along fine.**

**Marie P.O.V.**

**Jesse blushed, and I mentally patted myself on the shoulder. Rose and I turned away, but Jesse grabbed my arm. He looked into my eyes and attempted to use compulsion.**

"**You should really come with me, I want you to come with me." He said smoothly. I could see Rose getting ready to punch him out of the corner of my eye.**

**I lowered my voice menacingly. "Using compulsion on another student is a sure-fire way to get kicked out of school, so if I were you I would move your arm before I break your face."**

**Jesse smirked and matched my low tone. "Lat I remembered you liked it when I touched you."**

**That does it. My hand whipped out, fast and furious and whipped him across the cheek. It was early in the morning, and most students-Moroi and Dhampir alike-were still asleep. Only a few were up, and they weren't paying any attention to me.**

**Jesse swore. "Bitch."**

**I smiled at him. "Thank you. You just made my day."**

**Rose was chortling beside me. "I take it you two know each other."**

"**I knew him, when we were younger." I said as she led me to a table where two Moroi sat.**

"**Really?" She asked, intrigued.**

"**Yup, my mom, um… worked for his dad." I tried to leave the venom out of my voice, but I saw Rose raise her eyebrows. "And I thought my mom was bad. Doesn't it make you feel better when you know that someone has it worse than you?" She asked sincerely. **

**I didn't reply. We approached the table where the two Moroi sat. The girl had fair blond hair and green eyes. She was pretty, and the boy had dark hair and eyes that were like ice. His face had a sort of sarcastic charm to it.**

**Rose introduced us, and we all sat down to eat.**

**The black haired Moroi-Christian- looked over my shoulder and smiled. "Rose, your boyfriend finally decided to show up. Not that I would mind if he didn't."**

**I glanced over my shoulder at yet another Moroi, and froze. This Moroi was very handsome, and, very sexy. I thought that everything about him was sexy, from the length of his brown hair(it was long enough for me to run my fingers through but didn't go past his ears) to his deep green eyes and pale skin. His lips were curved in a lazy smile, and he only had eyes for Rose. He looked oddly familiar, but from where?**

**He looked at me questioningly, and recognition entered his eyes at the same time that his name entered my mind.**

**Adrian Ivashkov. What the hell was he doing here? Anger flared up inside my, and I wanted to go over to him and wring my hands around his neck.**

**I mentally begged him to not come to this table, but karma is a pain in the ass. I should have gave my change to the beggar that I saw yesterday, but I really wanted a coffee.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter four**

**Adrian P.O.V.**

**I almost froze when I saw her. I had made a vow that I would never meet up with a girl that I had hooked up with before, and here was one right now, looking angry as hell. I wondered briefly if she would actually kill me in a public place.**

**I kept my lazy smile in place and walked over to where they say. I draped my arm around Rose and nodded to **_**her.**_** What the hell was he name? Mary? Mariah? What the hell, for all I know it could be Marzipan.**

"**Adrian, this is Marie." Rose said as she pinched me. She was telling me to be nice.**

**I smiled at Marie. "Hey." She didn't smile back, or nod. I made a mental note that if I ever hooked up with another girl, besides Rose, that I would tell them it was over before I took off in the morning.**

**Christian was staring at her, like any male would do, and I kicked him underneath the table. He raised an eyebrow that seemed to say 'I'll stop staring at her when you do'. Was I staring at her? Was I staring at this unnaturally beautiful creature that hated my guts? Well, that's one way to put it.**

**Her aura was amazing. She was shrouded in silver and gold, colors that I had never before seen on anyone. If I could get close enough to her-without her ripping my throat out- I would ask what it meant.**

**More and more people started filling into the cafeteria, and my head started pounding as auras from every direction banged into my head. It was at times like this where I considered medicating myself the way Lissa used to, before we started practicing spirit together.**

**Lissa was almost as good as reading auras as I was, and she looked at me sympathetically.**

"**Adrian, Miss. Carmack wanted t see you. She told me yesterday, but I completely forgot." Lissa smiled again, and I realized that she was offering me a way out-one that kept my dignity intact.**

**I sighed. "Better go see what she wants then." I said as I left, after giving Rose a quick kiss.**

**I left in the direction of Miss. Carmack's room, but when I was out of their sight I went outside. The cool winter air felt good on my face. Christmas was two weeks away, and I was already planning what to get Rose.**

**Rose P.O.V.**

**I like Marie. She was light-hearted and chatty, in fact, I had a hard time to get her to shut up! She reminded me of Natalie Dashkov (my poor, misguided friend) but, unlike with Natalie, I found myself actually listening to her. **

"**Why'd you move schools?" I asked her. "Did a teacher make a pass at you?" I joked.**

**She grinned back. "Actually, I beat up three Dhampirs. And my old school was **_**really**_** anti-violent."**

**Lissa and Christian had left, and I could feel through the bond that they were going to the attic. I shuddered and closed up our bond, glad that I was able to. Watching them hook up was bad enough at night time-technically the human daytime-because I was completely unable to block her while I slept, so there was no way in hell that I was going to put up with it during the day-the human night-. Anyways, how were they always finding the time to do it? On a school morning nonetheless. They were like two turned-on teenage rabbits.**

**Since I was completely non anti-violent, I had to be a little impressed. "Were they guys?" I asked.**

**She nodded.**

**I whistled. "Wow, you must be really good."**

**She shrugged. She didn't strike me as the bragging type. "I'm okay, I guess."**

**The bell rang, and I jumped up. Combat training was my favourite class, because it required no thinking, and because I got to beat people up with permission.**

"**Come on, you'll like this class." I said as she dumped her tray.**

**As we changed into our gym clothes in the change room, it struck me at how much charisma Marie had. All of the few girls in our class absolutely **_**adored**_** her, even Meredith, who was grumpy and hating by nature. I know for a fact that she hates me.**

**Marie and Shirley-another female dhampir- were laughing abut god knows what, and I found myself thinking that if she were a Moroi she would have specialized in spirit.**

**I grabbed the boom box and walked to the gym with Marie in tow. I turned the radio on, and Rihanna's 'Pom De Replay' echoed across the gym. I partnered up with Marie because it was her first day and she probably didn't want to be partnered with guy that she didn't know. All the girls were already partnered up, and really? I didn't like they way that the guys were looking at her, especially Shane Wilkes, the best male fighter in the class.**

**We found our own little mat in the corner of the gym and started sparring off. I found out very quickly that Marie was a way better fighter than she let us believe. She blocked all of my kicks and punches easily, and I wasn't able to block any of her lightning quick hits. Even through the shin and arm pads that I was wearing, I had the feeling that I would be black and blue by tomorrow, and the weirdest part was that I felt like she was going easy on me. She never broke a sweat, and her silver-ish eyes were calm and slightly excited.**

**Of course, when she had me on the mat for the millionth time in a row everyone wanted to fight her. I watched her fight with almost every person in class, and surprisingly, I didn't feel jealous. I felt…happy for her. She was one of those persons whom you just couldn't hate, because they didn't give you the chance to.**

**She pranced over to me at the end of class, happy as a kid who had found out that Christmas had come early.**

"**What are you so happy about?" I asked as we got changed.**

**She shrugged. "Life, in general. This school is way better than my old one."**

"**Well, that's about to change. Stan is teaching our next class, and he hasn't gone one week without kicking me out."**

**She laughed and pulled her curls into a messy bun. A few strands escaped and delicately framed her face. She was the epitome of beauty.**

**We gathered our stuff and left. She sat down beside me in Stan's class.**

**Today was a 'Stan Quiz' day. He snaps questions about Strigoi at us, about how to defeat them, their weaknesses, and other stupid stuff.**

**When he asked me what a Strigoi's greatest weakness was, I told him that a five year old Moroi could have given him the answer. Marie snickered.**

**Stan turned his venomous glare on her and told her to stand up. The class was silent as they waited to see what fate he would bestow on the 'new girl'.**

"**Do you have a problem with authority, Miss Gavrilesca?" He barked.**

"**How is laughing having a problem with authority?" She demanded.**

**A vein pulsed in his forehead, and I bit back a laugh.**

"**I don't like you're attitude."**

"**Well, I don't exactly like yours, but I'm not complaining, am I?" She asked, annoyed.**

**Stan clenched his hands into fists and turned around. He opened his desk and returned with what had to be at least seventy pounds of books. The stack was nearly higher than his head, and he was at least six feet tall.**

**He dumped the books into Marie's surprised hands, and she stumbled.**

"**What are these for?" She exclaimed as she tried to peer over the edge of the books.**

**He sneered. "I want you to read all of these by the end of the week, and than right me a five page report about what they are about."**

"**You're kidding me?"**

"**Do I look like I'm joking? Now go bring those to your room and come straight back."**

**She swore in a language that I couldn't understand. I think it was Romanian. Stan obviously knew what it meant.**

"**Get out!" He roared.**

"**No problem, chief." She said as she scurried out.**

**Marie P.O.V.**

**The books were heavy. No, scratch that. The books were very heavy, at least eighty pounds. **_**And**_** I could barely see over the edge of the pile. It was only a matter of time before I tripped and went sprawling.**

**Since I was new to the campus, and because I had books that piled higher than my head, I was positive that I had taken a wrong turn. In fact, I had no clue where the hell I as.**

"**Shit!" I exclaimed, making a passing Moroi jump and look at me like I was crazy.**

**I frowned and backtracked. I **_**think **_**that my room was in this direction, but I wasn't sure. Why did everything look the same? Jeesh, it was like the school had been invaded by Sameness.**

**My arms started burning and I vowed that, no matter what, I would get Stan back.**

**Adrian P.O.V.**

**Studying spirit with Lissa was cool, and so was spending time with her amazingly sarcastic boyfriend and Rose, but when they were in class I got so bored that I thought my head would pop.**

**I went inside, being a Moroi, I was more sensitive to cold than most people. I headed towards guest housing-where else would I go.**

"**Lord Ivashkov." Called a pretty red-headed Moroi. "Can I help you with anything?"**

**I looked at her closer, reading he face as well as he aura. She was pretty, and tall, with green eyes and straight red hair. Her aura told me that it would only take a few flattering words to get her to come back to my room with me.**

**I smiled flirtatiously. "Actually, you can help me."**

**She raised an eyebrow. "How so?"**

**I opened my mouth, and than un willingly thought of Rose. It wouldn't be fair to her….**

**I sighed. "Nothing, I'm fine."**

**She smiled. "Have a nice day." She walked away.**

**First Rose was denying me my alcohol, and now I was being deprived of women. If only my mom could see me now.**

**I rounded the corner and crashed head first with a pile of books. Books flew everywhere and I heard someone fall to the ground.**

**Once I had gotten over my initial shock of colliding with a big pile of books, I bothered to look at the unlucky person who had been knocked over.**

"**Oh. It's you." I said as Marie's angry face glared at me from the floor.**

**She snorted. "Don't sound so excited. It's killing me." She got up and started gathering her books. There had to be at least ten of them, even a dhampir would have trouble carrying all of that.**

"**Ditching on your first day? It couldn't be that bad." I said.**

**She looked over at me. "I have to bring these to my room."**

"**That's interesting."**

"**Very." Her voice was layered with sarcasm.**

**Since I had nothing to do, and since I was feeling chivalrous, I took half of her books from her and started walking back to her dorm with her.**

"**Don't you have something to do?" She asked, trying to get rid of me.**

**I laughed. "Don't you wish. While you guys are in class I have nothing to do."**

"**A truly smart person knows how to occupy their self."**

"**I am occupying myself-by carrying your books." I pointed out.**

**She sighed, and I was once again struck by how beautiful she was. "Okay, fine. You win this round."**

"**Why do you hate me so much?" I asked as she opened her door. With the door half open, she looked at me speculatively.**

"**I never said that." She objected.**

"**I can tell when people don't like me."**

"**You must get that a lot." She said dryly as she went into her room. Instead of waiting for her to invite me in-which she probably wouldn't have-I walked in. Her small room was very neat and tidy.**

**She put her books on her bed and reached for the ones that I held in my arms. They were heavy, and my arms were sore.**

**She turned to look up at me, and impatiently brushed a few strands of hair out of her eyes. A flash back of that night cascaded through my head.**

_**My hands running over her body, her breath heavy in my ear. Her silky hair cascading over her shoulders like a waterfall. Her greenish eyes clouding over in pleasure….**_

**The memory turned me on like a switch, and I wanted to kiss her more than anything. Her beautiful silver and gold aura was pushing on my head like a mallet.**

**I grabbed her arm and pulled her closer. She didn't push me away, and I took that as I good sign. I bent down to her level, and when I was about to press my lips to hers she whispered. "Thanks for carrying my books." And moved away from me.**

**The sexual tension around me was thick enough to cut with a knife. My brain was on a slow burn, cloudy and fuzzy. I hadn't wanted Rose as much as I wanted Marie.**

"**You're going to have to leave, so I can lock up." She said brusquely.**

**I got up and looked at her, reading her aura again. Red and grey. Red was love, passion, and longing, but grey was fear. She was **_**scared**_** of me, not because I would harm her physically, but mentally. I kicked myself for ever hurting her, and left the room.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter five.**

**Marie P.O.V.**

**And he wonders why I don't like him. He's going out with Rose, and than he tries to kiss me. After kicking Adrian out of my room I locked the door and watched him walk away. I honestly considered ditching Stan's class, but I enjoyed arguing with him-not that I would ever tell him.**

**The walk back to Stan's class was slow and quiet as I wandered inside my head. The bell rang, and I picked up my pace, eager to catch up with Rose. Their were still two more classes until lunch, and than four more after. The days at the academy were longer than the days at St. Basil's were.**

**I saw Rose walking out of the classroom, carrying my gym bag and looking around for me. I ran up to her-something that isn't easy in three inch stilettos.**

"**Thanks." I told her as I shouldered my bag. I was thankful once again that our morning classes were identical.**

**She smiled, flashing pretty white teeth. "No problem."**

**I searched in my bag for my schedule. Next class was…language class. Romanian and Russian. I was fluent in Romanian, and pretty good at Russian.**

"**This class ought to be easy." I said, confident.**

**Rose snorted. "I hate it. I can only say, like twenty words in Romanian, and the Russian alphabet? Impossible."**

**Eddie Castilman-a male dhampir in our class-hurried up to us, breathless.**

"**Jesus Christ!" He exclaimed. "You women wear shoes higher than my hand, yet you walk at forty kilometres an hour! How does that make sense?"**

**Eddie was nice, someone who enjoyed laughing and smiling. I winked at him. "Trade secret. We'd tell you, but then we'd have to kill you."**

**Eddie cracked a shy smile. Most of the guys in Rose's class-my class now-acted shy around me, which I honestly found stupid. Yes, I was pretty, but I was still human-or rather, not human, but a person. My mother was a Dhampir-which made me part human, part other.**

**We chatted aimlessly, and I soon found out that if Rose Hathaway didn't have a witty remark in mind, than it most likely didn't exist. A flyer was posted outside of the language classroom-taught by Mr. Duchy-that read:**

_**Novices CHRISTMAS dance, must be seventeen or older. Dance will be un-chaperoned. Dress code intact. Moroi and Dhampir allowed. Feeders will not be present. **_

**The words 'un-chaperoned' were what caught my eye. The idea of an un-chaperoned dance was so tempting that I might actually go.**

"**Un-chaperoned?" Rose said excitedly, and turned to me. "You, me and Lissa have to **_**beg**_** Kirova to let us go to Missoula to go shopping. I have no dresses what-so-ever."**

"**Definitely." I felt nice to be included into the group, and the big fat credit-card that my mom gave me-which was supposed to be used in emergency situations only (emergency situations, sure)- was burning a hole in my back pocket.**

**Rose and I sat down in Mr. Duchy's class and immediately began discussing what we would buy. Eddie had snuck of by this point, saying that the estrogen in the air was enough to give any guy a headache. Rose and I didn't know whether to go 'short and sexy' or 'long and elegant'.**

**The subject of dresses changed abruptly to our dates when I teased her half-heartedly about Adrian taking her. She blushed.**

"**I'm sure tons of guys are going to ask you." She said wistfully.**

**I shrugged. "I doubt it."**

"**Why?" She exclaimed. "Guys must hit on you like, all the time."**

"**When they do." I began. "I hit them back. Hard."**

**She grinned. "I like the way you think."**

"**Ditto. What's Mr. Duchy like?" I asked as he walked in, nodding to only the pretty girls in the class.**

**She shrugged. "He's okay."**

"**Meaning?" I asked.**

**She looked me over. "I'm sure he'll like you."**

**Gross. "Point taken."**

"**Bună ziua, d-na Gavrilesca. Eşti familiarizat cu română şi rusă?" (Hello, Ms. Gavrilesca. Are you familiar with Romanian and Russian)? He asks in Romanian.**

**I smile and zip my jacket up when his gaze looks towards my chest.**

"**Foarte, aceasta este ceea ce eu vorbesc cu mama mea." (Very, it is what I speak with my mother).**

**He seems impressed. "А русский?" (What about Russian.)? He says as he switches to Russian.**

**I don't bother to point out the grammar incident in his sentence. "Я почти полностью свободно владеет русским языком. Я взял его в Санкт-базилика." (I am almost entirely fluent in the Russian language. I took it at St. Basils).**

**He smiles and moves on, quizzing each student in turn. Rose wasn't joking when she said that she wasn't very good at speaking another language.**

**The class passed by in a blur. As I had predicted, it was very easy. Mr. Duchy is a Moroi that will not live a long and healthy life. I think he will be dead within a year, the alcohol he drinks smells even more strongly than Adrian's does. And anyways, Adrian is a much younger Moroi, so he will probably live longer than Mr. Duchy, and Adrian….**

**I mentally smacked myself. There was no way in hell that I would start thinking about Adrian Ivashkov while sitting beside his girlfriend.**

**I pulled a picture out of my pocket and looked at it with a smile. Mr. Duchy's class wasn't hard enough to require my attention.**

"**Who's that?" Rose asked as she looked at the picture over my shoulder. "She looks exactly like you-just without the silvery eyes. Your sister?"**

**I chuckled. "Actually, it's my mom."**

**Rose raised her eyebrows. "Really? She looks really young. Younger than my mom, at least."**

**I shrugged. My mom-Lilia-was often mistaken for my sister.**

"**Dimitri!" Barked Mr. Duchy. "Sit down now!" He yelled at Dimitri Yelzka, a Moroi in our class. When Mr. Duchy yelled his name, I saw Rose stiffen, and jump up in surprise.**

"**What's wrong?" I asked with a frown.**

**She tried to pull off her normal I'm-all-that smile, but something was off about her expression. "Nothing's wrong with me."**

"**Okay." I said, not wanting to press her. I tucked the picture of me and my mom back into my pocket. Rose was right-my mom looked a lot like me. Tanned skin, curly hair. Except whereas I had green eyes accented with grey-or silver-her eyes were only green.**

**I noticed Rose's hand shaking out of the corner of my eye. That definitely wasn't nothing. **

**Rose P.O.V**

**I can't believe I'm letting myself get worked up just because Mr. Duchy yelled at Dimitri. It's just a name, for crying out loud, not actually him. Not actually Dimitri, whom I had staked not long ago. I shivered, but not from the cold. The letter that Dimitri had sent me scared me senseless, because I knew that this time, he wouldn't be taking me hostage. One of us would die, or both of us, trying to kill the other.**

**I saw Marie looking at me from the corner of her eyes. I smiled at her, but she didn't seem convinced. I was happy that she didn't press me.**

**I remembered the conversation that me and Dimitri had had, when he was still a Dhampir-still alive.**

_**Reluctantly, I pulled away and handed Dimitri his coat. I stood up. He regarded me curiously, sensing my unease. **_

_**"Where you going?" he asked. **_

_**"To break someone's heart," I replied. **_

_**I admired Dimitri for a heartbeat more-the dark, knowing eyes and silken hair. Then I headed inside. I had to apologize Mason… and tell him there'd never be anything between us. **_

**I hadn't been able to get close to my friend-or rather, former friend-because of my love for Dimitri.**

**It was also the reason that I couldn't get as close as I wanted to Adrian. I cared for Adrian-as more than a friend, but I wasn't ready to have a relationship with him, or anyone. However, at the same time, a selfish part of me wanted to stay with him, just so that no one else could have him.**

**I'm screwed.**

**The bell rang and I jumped up. Marie stretched beside me and cracked her back. She reminded me of a large cat when she stretched like that. Or rather, a tigress. A large, exotic, beautiful, deadly jungle cat stretching out before she kills her prey.**

**Obviously, I've been reading way too many animal history books.**

"**Well, that was fun." Marie said as we walked to our last class before lunch.**

**I sighed. When Lissa and I had our 'vacation' away from the Academy, the college schedule days were only five or six periods. Sometimes four. The days here were so long that I could feel myself slipping towards insanity.**

**We had to cross the courtyard to get to our next class, and it was snowing.**

**I hated snow. Hated everything about it, like how it made my hair frizzy, how it made m clumsy, how it was too cold… if snow had a good side, I was yet to find it.**

"**It's snowing!" Marie laughed as she raised her face to the sky.**

"**Yay." I said unenthusiastically.**

**She looked at me. "Don't you like snow?"**

"**No, not really." I replied honestly.**

"**How can you not love it?" Marie exclaimed. She was one to talk. When the snow settled in her hair she looked like an ice princess, rather than like a frizz ball. And her walk was so graceful, that I doubted she ever tripped on ice.**

"**Easily. It's cold, wet, and annoying." I was grateful when went indoors. My least favourite class-Moroi history. It seemed that everything about this school was centered around Moroi's. Couldn't there be a Dhampir history class?**

**I settled down in my seat and put my head on the desk. I always fell asleep in this class, but who could blame me? It was so boring.**

**I closed my eyes for a minute and was out before the teacher walked in.**

**Marie P.O.V.**

**I was doodling aimlessly on my notebook during this class. History was my worse subject. I saw Rose sleeping and smiled. Smart girl. Following her suit, I rested my head on the desk, but instead of sleeping, I wrote songs. I tended to do that when I was bored, or angry and tired.**

**By the time class ended my stomach was growling.**

**When we were outside, I noted with disappointment that the snow had melted, and was replaced by rain. The pathway was a deadly ice slick. It was lunch time-midnight for the humans-and very dark outside.**

**In my hurry to escape to lunch, I forgot to watch my footing on the ice, and fell.**

"**Oof." I huffed out as I landed on my butt. Now my pants were going to be wet. Rose offered me and hand and laughed at my disgruntled expression.**

"**Shut up." I told her as I wiped my hands on my sweater. It was going to be a long winter. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Adrian P.O.V.**

**Finally, lunch time. Only five more hours of solitude after this. I really hated the school days. There was only one word to describe it as: boring.**

**I got to the cafeteria early, not wanting to wait to long for a feeder.**

**When my name was called, I was led to a room with an elderly feeder. Well, she wasn't that old, but not that young either. I think her name was Alice. Christian and Lissa liked getting her-don't ask me why.**

**Her eyes were blank and glazed as she looked at me. "Greetings, Lord Ivashkov." She murmured. Her aura was a foggy type of blue.**

"**How's it going?" I asked as I sat beside her.**

"**Don't put your heart in the wrong place." Alice said suddenly. I crinkled my brow.**

"**Uh…what?" I asked, confused.**

**Alice smiled knowingly. "But you already have, haven't you? It's hard to get your heart back when you give it away."**

"**To Rose?"**

**She shook her head. "You don't love her, not enough anyways." She glanced outside.**

"**Isn't the scenery lovely?" She asked wistfully.**

"**Ya, sure." I said as I leaned down and bit her neck.**

"**Have a nice day, Lord Ivashkov." Alice said as I drew back the curtain and left.**

"**You to." I muttered. What did she mean, that I didn't love Rose enough? I loved her more than I had ever loved any girl. I wanted to be with her for other reasons than sex.**

**I spotted Rose and jogged over to her.**

"**Hello, sunshine." I said as I slipped my hand into hers. Her answering smile was dazzling.**

**Without thinking about it, I looked around for Marie. I had expected Rose to be with her, but she was no where around.**

"**Where's your new buddy?" I asked Rose. She frowned.**

"**At Kirova's office."**

**I was baffled. "Why?"**

**Rose shrugged and picked a donut off of a nearby tray. "I have no clue. Kirova sent Alberta to find her."**

**Something was bothering Rose. Her aura turned light orange-discomfort. I remembered Marie's strange aura. Gold and silver were unusual colors. I only had seen gold auras in spirit using Moroi's, like me and Lissa. I had never seen silver, and I had no clue what it meant.**

**We walked over to where Lissa and Christian were deep in conversation. Christian had broken up with Lissa, when Avery was messing with her mind. But now that things were back to normal, he couldn't resist being with her.**

**Today, I tried to kiss a girl that hated me, and got to have a conversation with a crazy feeder. All of this, and before lunch, to. It must be a new record.**

**Marie P.O.V.**

**It wasn't necessary for Headmistress Kirova to give me a welcoming speech, yet she still did. You would have thought that she had the speech memorized. It was so long that when I finally escaped my butt was sore.**

**I saw a dark figure retreating down the hallway. It looked like Meredith. **

"**Meredith!" I called out as she walked away from me. She didn't turn around.**

**I frowned and pulled my schedule out of my bag. I had music now, in room 239.**

**I grinned. Music was going to be awesome. I had no difficulty finding the room, and soon I was introducing myself to the teacher and getting assigned to the piano. The sheet music he gave me wasn't complicated at all, and I found myself drifting off as I played, rather than remaining alert and focused. Still, it was by far my favourite class of the day.**

**When class ended the music room was in a frenzy. Every student was hurrying to put there instruments away so that they wouldn't be late.**

"**Are you new here?" A dark skinned Dhampir asked me.**

"**Have you seen me here before?" I asked dryly.**

**He smiled. "No, I haven't. And I'm sure that I would have remembered meeting you."**

**He offered his hand. "I'm Levon."**

**I shook his hand gingerly. "Marie."**

"**What class do you have next?" He asked as we left.**

"**Animal history." I replied. I had memorized my schedule.**

"**Me, to. I'll walk you there." He was carrying my books for me, which I found sweet. Even if it was so first grade.**

**He handed my books back to me and our hands brushed. I blushed and hurried to find a seat. Rose and Lissa were in this class, so I sat near them.**

**Apparently, this school did have something to offer, I said to myself as I saw Levon smile at me.**

**Rose P.O.V**

"**Meredith hates me." Marie complained as we left our last class of the day. I agreed with her. Meredith was usually grumpy and moody, but she **_**really **_**seemed to have it in for Marie.**

"**Just ignore her. I do all the time, and it works like a charm." I shrugged.**

**I opened the door to my room, and heard Marie do the same.**

"**Adrian! What are you doing here?" I asked as I spotted him right before I closed my door.**

**He looked uncomfortable-something really strange for him.**

"**I was just…taking a walk." He said.**

"**Uh-huh, sure. Do you usually take walks in the girls dorm?" I asked sarcastically.**

"**Think about it. One guy, surrounded by a bunch of girls." He replied sarcastically.**

**I rolled my eyes. "Do you want to come in?"**

"**No, I'll meet you at dinner."**

**What was up with him? I closed the door and collapsed onto my bed. Knowing Adrian, he was probably hooking up with one of the girls here. Now, **_**that**_** wouldn't surprise me at all.**

**Adrian P.O.V.**

**I stood outside her door, wondering why the hell I was there. My objective was to apologize-something I never did, but was there a different reason? A different reason as to why I stood outside Marie's door, with my hand raised to knock? I fidgeted. Being around her made me nervous. **

**I mentally smacked myself. I didn't get nervous around girls. It just wasn't me. It was my job to make women nervous around me, not the other way around.**

**I knocked on her door. She opened it with a hairbrush in one hand, a toothbrush in the other, and nothing on but shorts and a tank-top. I had to smirk.**

"**Do you usually answer the door like that?" I asked.**

**She raised her eyebrows. "Only when I want to scare away unwanted visitors. Is it working?"**

"**No, not really." I grinned. She was toying with me, her aura gave her away.**

**She sighed theatrically. "Well, that's too bad. Did you need something, or are you just here to bug me?"**

**I cleared my throat. "Actually, can I come in?"**

**She narrowed her eyes. "What would you do if I say no?"**

"**Cry in defeat?" I suggested.**

**She grinned. "Well, we don't want that, do we? Come in."**

**She let the door swing shut and I caught it before it closed. Nice welcoming committee. I entered the room and was assailed by the scent of fresh lilac. I breathed in deeply. Lilacs were my favourite flower.**

**She pulled on a sweater and looked at me expectantly.**

"**I…um, I actually wanted to apologize." The words were forced out between my teeth as I said them.**

"**Really?" She asked, surprised. I wasn't that much of an asshole.**

"**I've been feeling…strange ever since this afternoon. I think that I may finally hav developed a conscience."**

"**Don't make me laugh." She said blandly. **

"**I'm not that much of a jerk." I said, slightly offended.**

"**You could have fooled me."**

**I frowned. "Look, I didn't-."**

"**Sorry, that was rude. I didn't mean it that way." She insisted.**

"**No, you did. I appreciate the effort, but if you don't mind, I'm going to leave." I said in a cold voice, turning around. **

**She sighed and grabbed my arm. "Wait, stop being such a baby."**

"**I'm not being a baby. What's that?" I asked as a loose sheet of paper fluttered to the ground. Anger forgotten, I bent over to pick it up.**

"**Did anyone ever tell you that you have a short attention span?" Marie asked as she tried to get the paper back from me.**

"**Several teachers and family shrinks. They also think that I have multiple personalities." I said as I held the paper high up and read it. Since I was Moroi, I was naturally taller than she was. It appeared to be a poem of some sort. The first line was:**

_**The kiss woke Sleeping Beauty from her eternal sleep, but what kiss shall wake me?**_

"**Adrian, give it back." Marie complained as she stretched on her tippy toes. My body was rubbing against hers as she tried to get back her poem.**

"**It's very pretty." I said as I handed it to her. She stepped on my foot.**

"**God, you're so annoying." She muttered angrily.**

"**It's one of my finer qualities." I swept my hand around in a gallant gesture and knocked over a glass that was, thankfully, empty. It shattered when it hit the floor.**

"**Adrian!' She exclaimed.**

"**Sorry, sorry." I said hurriedly as I bent down to pick up the shards.**

"**No, don't touch it, you'll cut your fingers." She said at the same time that I swore and dropped the glass. I deep gash ran across my palm. I was tempted to try and heal myself, but Lissa had said that for some reason spirit users couldn't heal themselves.**

"**See? What did I tell you?" She asked as she gently took my hand and ran it under the tap. The water stung horribly.**

"**Ouch." I murmured, not loud enough for her to hear me.**

"**Yeah, ouch." She said as she slapped a bandage on to my hand.**

"**You heard that?" I asked, baffled.**

**Her aura flickered in discomfort. "You said it out loud."**

**She lowered my hand but didn't let go. I don't think she realized it, but I certainly did. It was like all the nerves from my body were connected to my hand. I felt it again, that insane urge to be near her in any way possible. **

**She realized that she was holding my hand and dropped it, embarrassed.**

"**Sorry-." She began. Her words were cut off when I pressed my lips to hers. She raised her hands to my chest, as if to push me away, but instead she ended up twining her fingers in my hair and kissing me back fiercely.**

**Marie P.O.V.**

**I knew that I should push Adrian away, maybe smack him across the face also. I knew that I should yell at him, and kick him out of my room. I also knew that I definitely should not be clutching him to me and kissing him so hard that my lips felt bruised. So why was I doing just that? I didn't have an answer, and didn't care.**

**His hands grabbed fistfuls of my hair and crushed my face to his. My body was pressed against his in all ways possible, and I sighed when his tongue entered my mouth. It probably sounds gross, the thought of having someone's tongue in your mouth, but it was honestly the greatest feeling in the world.**

**He pulled away from me, breathing hard. **

**I cleared my throat. "We shouldn't have done that."**

"**I know." He said as he brought his face to mine for another kiss, this one gentle, and soft. It was the type of kiss that was liable to make a women melt. I broke this kiss this time.**

"**Adrian, we can't." I said gently as I pushed him away from me.**

**He ran a hand though his hair. "I know, it's just that I…I just wanted to so badly."**

"**I know. And you have to go now." I said as I left the bathroom. My back was hurting where he had pushed me against the sink.**

"**I'm sorry." He said pathetically as he stood with his foot in the door, preparing to leave.**

**I didn't like this side of Adrian, the side of him that was sweet and caring, and un-sarcastic. I could deal with him being a smartass and hitting on me. I could not deal with him acting like he actually cared about my feelings, because it seemed to be an act. A very convincing act, but an act nonetheless.**

**But what if it wasn't an act? What if he could be like this-when he felt like it?**

**My confusion made me upset, which made me angry.**

"**Just go, Adrian." I said wearily.**

"**I'll see you at dinner." He said as he left.**

"**Actually, you won't. I have things to do." I said as I shut the door. I leaned heavily on the door and picked up my poem that Adrian had read moments ago.**

_**The kiss woke Sleeping Beauty from her eternal sleep, but what kiss shall wake me?**_

_**The kiss of death has already been bestowed upon me, and I ask myself why?**_

_**The kiss of love shall never be mine, because love has a deadly embrace,**_

_**And I have been embraced by deadliness far too many times.**_

**I walked across my room and reached into my bag, pulling out a small portable radio. I might be able to get reception up here. I looked outside, and saw the wonderful snow that was once again falling. Perfect. Forgetting my earlier hunger, I walked outside and found a small clearing, that I can have all to myself. **

**I cranked up my radio. 'Party in the U.S.A' sang out as I raised my face to the sky. I really did love snow, for some strange reason. I loved getting it in my hair, and all over my face. I even loved when my fingers got so cold that they were numb. It made me feel more connected, more normal.**

**I spent a few hours there, but when the sky began to lighten I knew that I had missed the curfew. My chances of sneaking in unnoticed were slim to none.**

**I made it to the dorm without getting noticed, and the Moroi that was supposed to be watching the door was so out of it that I doubted he would have been woken up if I had brought in a chainsaw.**

**I yawned widely as I opened my door. A piece of paper fluttered down from my bed.**

_**I am not sorry for my soulThat it must go unsatisfied,For it can live a thousand times,Eternity is deep and wide.**_

_**I am not sorry for my soul,But oh, my body that must goBack to a little drift of dustWithout the joy it longed to know.**_

**The paper was lilac coloured and smelt like…aftershave and alcohol.**

**I sighed and tossed myself onto my bed. The first day of my new school was already a complete disaster.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter seven

Marie P.O.V.

The dream that I had was so realistic, for a minute I thought I was awake. Dreams were supposed to distract me from my problems, not bring me face to face with them.

In my dream I was lying down in a meadow that had every colour of flowers imaginable. There were lilacs and roses, carnations and lilies, and petunia's everywhere.

I wondered if I was awake. I felt like I was awake, I could feel my body. But if I was awake, then how the hell did I get here?

I decided that I didn't care. This was my dream, and I was going to do anything that I wanted to do in it. I probably wouldn't even remember it in the morning. A throat was cleared behind me and a hastily stood up.

"Adrian!" I said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't find you at dinner. I wanted to talk to you, but you never showed up."

He was standing in a patch of light that made his eyes shimmer and hair appear golden. My imagination was on a roll tonight, if only my dreams could always be this creative.

"I know that I'm gorgeous and all, but could you stop staring at me?" He asked with a smirk.

I _had_ been staring at him. "Sorry." I said as I walked towards him. "Why did you want to talk to me?"

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I didn't know if you were upset or not."

"You do have multiple personalities." I accused as I took a few more steps towards him. "You're either all sarcastic and cocky, or your like this. Nice and normal."

"My birthday's in June." He said.

I frowned. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"I'm a Gemini, you know, two personalities and all that junk." He grinned at me, showing the points of his fangs. I preferred that grin to his smirk, which always annoyed me just a little bit.

I reached down for his hand and pulled him closer.

"What are you doing?" He asked with his lazy grin back in place.

"This is a dream, my dream. Anything that I do in it won't matter when I'm awake. I probably won't even remember it when I'm awake, so I might as well make the best of it."

"What would you do if I were to say that this wasn't a dream?" He asked in a low voice. I smiled.

"I would say that since I'm asleep, it has to be a dream." I wanted to kiss him so bad that it hurt. I moved my hand to the back of his neck ad brought his head down. I pressed my lips to his gently.

"You know, the reason that I came here was to tell you that we probably shouldn't do…this anymore, but you're not exactly strengthening my will." He mumbled around my lips.

"That was my goal." This was the best dream kiss that I had ever had. Everything was so realistic, from the feeling of his hair to the way he wrapped his arms around my waist.

The dream started to go blurry, and a small voice in my brain noted that I was waking up. I clung to Adrian viciously, greedily taking in a few more kisses, and then I was lying awake in my bed, gasping.

I groaned and turned over in my bed. It was four o'clock, which meant that it was still daylight outside. I had two more hours until I needed to get up, but I wasn't tired at all. I groaned again and brought a pillow over my head, hoping for more sleep. None came.

Adrian P.O.V.

Kissing her kind of ruined the entire point of me visiting her dreams in the first place, but I'm not complaining. I liked kissing her, liked it a lot. Hell, who was I kidding, I liked _her_ a lot. Marie. The worst part of this whole thing, was that she thought that it was just a dream, and that was the only reason that she kissed me. When we got up, and returned to out normal lives, she would go back to being how she always was with me. Cool and detached. Sarcastic. I deserved it, to. Had we switched places, I would have been pissed of also.

What was she expecting, though. I'm Adrian Ivashkov. I don't think that I've had more than a one night stand in a long time. Before I met Rose, my life was always about partying, drinking, and women.

I remember thinking that I was in love with Rose, but now I'm not so sure. I wanted Rose when I couldn't have her, and now that I did have her, I wanted someone else. Did that mean that if I went out with Marie, I wouldn't want her anymore? My head is seriously messed up.

I rolled out of bed and stretched. My hand still hurt, but it was a dull throbbing rather than a piercing shock, like it had been earlier.

Being the sick, crazy person that am, I peeled away my bandage and poked my cut. It stung.

To awake to fall back asleep, I got up and walked to the bathroom, without turning on the lights. Moroi didn't need much light to see in the dark. While feeling superior about my night vision, I stubbed my toe on the wall and swore. So much for night vision.

Once I was in the bathroom, I flicked on the light and was momentarily blinded by the brightness. I blinked a few times, and then turned to the mirror. I opened my mouth and looked at m fangs. Dear Lord, did I hate having fangs. The were too long, and too pointy, which makes kissing a pain in the ass. It isn't exactly romantic when the person you're teeth pierced your girlfriend's lip.

Yes, I was insecure about my teeth. Amazing, isn't it. Most people believe that I'm not insecure about anything, but that's kind of impossible, isn't it?

I shivered and turned the heat up in my room. I loved winter, but hated the cold. What a way to contradict myself.

I crawled back into my nice, warm bed and argued with myself. I wanted to visit Marie's dreams, even though I knew that I shouldn't. There was something about her, that was so…so intriguing. Had she been a Moroi, I would have accused her of using compulsion, but she wasn't a Moroi, she was a Dhampir.

I caved in and let my mind reach for Marie's. All I got was blackness, which meant that she wasn't asleep. Which was good. I put my hands behind my head and stared at the ceiling, counting the cracks in the wall. I needed a life.

Rose P.O.V.

My alarm buzzed and I rolled out of bed with a groan. I ran a hand through my hair and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. There was something weird about my dreams last night, but I didn't know what. There was a knock on my door, which pissed me off. I hated being bugged in the morning, and if Adrian had come again, like yesterday morning, I would kill him.

Realization hit me quickly. That's what was different with my dreams last night-Adrian didn't visit them. I wondered if that should bug me, but it didn't. Since I was planning on breaking up with him anyways, it was better if he started to drift away.

So I pulled on some pants and opened my door.

"Eddie? What are you doing here?" I asked as I opened my door. His eyes shone with amusement.

"This was at my door this morning." He said as he handed me a slip of paper.

Dear Mr. Castilman…

_You, Ms. Hathaway, Ms. Gavrilesca, Princess Dragomir, and Lord Ivashkov have been summoned to the Royal Court on the 21st__ of December._

"That's four days before the dance." I mumbled as I looked at Eddie.

"This is so great! But why do they want us?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Who cares. We're going to the Royal Court! Aren't you excited.?"

Yes, sure. I was _so_ excited to see Queen Tatiana, the ruler of the Moroi, who, coincidentally hated my guts because I was having an 'affair' with Adrian. The funny thing was, I didn't even like him that way when I was accused of this. So all in all, was I excited? The answer is no.

"Sure. I'm ecstatic." I said half-heartedly.

He narrowed his eyes at me. "You're lying."

I raised my eyebrow. "Did you suddenly become a mind reader?"

"No. I just know you." He said as he shrugged.

Dimitri had once said almost the exact same thing to me. When he was still a dhampir.

I was lost in a train of thought until Eddie cleared his throat. I looked up at him.

"Oh, sorry Eddie. I was thinking about stuff. You should probably get going, unless you want to have a rushed breakfast." I said as I held out the letter. He reached out to grab it, and his hand brushed mine. I jerked back, embarrassed. He cleared his throat.

"See you later." He said as he walked away.

Well, that was weird. Since when was I embarrassed by Eddie? Since when was I embarrassed by any boy, for that matter? I watched Eddie walk away, and wondered for a moment if he would be my next Dimitri. Did that line sound as cheesy to you as it did to me? Mental note: never, ever say that again.

Marie P.O.V.

I hadn't fallen asleep since my weird dream, but that didn't mean that I was happy when I had to drag myself out of bed and haul my butt into the shower. I could see a routine forming in my head: get up, shower, school, lunch, school, dinner, meadow, bed. I wondered where the wards on the Academy ended, and if my little meadow was inside of them. I hadn't seen very many guardians around that area, so I wasn't sure.

I yawned widely and pulled my still wet curls into a ponytail. My mom would kill me if she say me walking outside with wet hair (parents are so paranoid).

Yesterday I had learnt quickly that wearing three inch heels were a big no-no, especially when stupid people (Stan) made you carry books that must have been at least seventy pounds heavy. I cast a glance at the books. They were sitting in the exact some position that they had been in yesterday. If Stan had honestly expected me to read them, then he must have some sort of intense brain damage.

I had a sudden curiosity to look at the books, that is, until I read the first title. It said…

"_Great female guardians: Why they have a better chance of succeeding with shorter hair."_

Ha ha. Funny. Don't ask me why someone would even bother putting the time into making a book like this. And how the hell had they gotten enough facts to make it into a book this big?

I flipped open the book. Just as I had expected. Humongous goofy pictures and large text. Did Stan think I was five? I shut the book and walked back to my closet. I had _way_ too much clothing, but I just threw on a t-shirt and some jeans.

I heard footsteps behind me and saw Rose start walking beside me.

She yawned widely. " 'Morning, stranger." She said as she yawned again.

"Hey."

Her eyes widened and she smiled. "I just remembered something. You know Queen Tatiana?"

I shied away mentally. I didn't like royals-or rather, I didn't like royals like her. Lots of royals were actually very nice. "Yes, I do. What about her?"

"She invited us to the Royal Court." Rose said with a tone of annoyance in her voice.

I swallowed. "When you say us…you mean me also?" I asked, hoping she would say no, that I wasn't invited. I was horrified when she nodded, but I hid my reaction.

"Why would she invite me? How does she even know about me?" I exclaimed. Rose shrugged.

"Who cares? The point is the Queen is _dying_ to get Lissa to live in the Royal Court when she's older, so the Queen pulls a lot of favours for her."

I waited for the punch line, and got impatient when it didn't come. "Your point is?"

"Well, I may have convinced Lissa to ask the Queen if we can go shopping for dresses while we're there, and the Queen may have said yes…as long as we take a guardian."

My mood perked up. "Really? That's so awesome!" I exclaimed happily. When we reached the cafeteria I immediately go the biggest cup of coffee that they had. I burnt my tongue on the scalding liquid, but I didn't mind at that point.

Rose and I sat down beside Lissa and Christian. Christian looked strangely smug about something.

"What are you so happy about?" I asked him. He smirked.

"You three have to go to the Royal Court and listen to Queen Bitch nag about God-knows-what while I get to stay here."

"You know, Tatiana said I could bring a guest." Lissa reminded him. "And if you don't want to come I could always ask…." She looked over the heads of the people that were filling into the cafeteria and spotted a strikingly handsome Moroi. "Him. I'm sure he would love to spend a few days at the Royal Court with three girls." Lissa said as she grinned.

Christian rolled his eyes. "Fine, but if I have to come then I want something in return." His voice dropped down a tone or two and turned sultry.

"Come on." Rose objected. "I'm eating here, and as far as I know, the attic in the church is unavailable today."

I raised my eyebrow at the 'attic in the church' jibe. Rose caught my look and grinned.

"Oh, didn't I tell you? Christian and Lissa like to have their alone time in an attic. Not very romantic if you ask me." Rose said as she smiled sweetly at Christian and Lissa. They were currently staring into each other's eyes like a pair of lovesick teenagers-which they were.

I laughed along with Rose. We both jumped up when the bell rang and said our goodbyes to Christian and Lissa.

We chatted animatedly until we got to the gym, and then Rose groaned when we saw the note that was on the door.

_Go outside on the track-4 mile run today._

"That's sixteen laps!" Rose exclaimed as she threw her stuff into a locker and started changing. "Are they trying to kill us?"

I shrugged off my clothing. "Actually, I don't mind running. It's relaxing."

Rose gave me a weird look. "Well, those of us that are human-or as close to human as we can get-don't like running." She pulled her hair into a sleek ponytail and we left for the track.

Keeping a class of teenagers under control around a track is near impossible, and pretty soon our four mile run turned into a four mile race. The guardian teaching us watched us good humouredly, I don't think he cared how we did the four miles as long as we did them.

"Hey!" I exclaimed as someone bumped my shoulder hard enough to make me stumble. The culprit jogged away, her mousy brown hair swinging as she ran. I would have to ask Meredith what the hell her problem was. I finished my last lap and collapsed onto a bench with Rose. The ground was covered in slush and ice, except for the track, which was thankfully dry. It was freezing outside, but since we were running we didn't really feel it, until we stopped. We were ushered inside (thank God) and into the change rooms.

The rest of the day passed by in a blur. The classes were all easy and…a bit boring, except for music. And I think part of that was because I got to see Levon. Wouldn't you be excited if you got to flirt with a good looking guy for an hour each day?

I was happy when the day was finally over and I got to collapse into my bed. I closed my eyes for a bit and drifted off into a nap.

Rose P.O.V.

I had to find Adrian. I had to tell him that I didn't want him that way, that I only wanted him as a friend-which was true. Adrian was a great friend (bad habits aside) and I didn't want to wreck our friendship, but I also didn't want to continue dating him-or whatever it is that we have been doing.

I headed down to Adrian's room before dinner started and knocked on the door. He didn't answer immediately, and when he did he looked disgruntled, as if he had been asleep.

"Hello, little Dhampir." He yawned.

"You've been sleeping all day?" I asked incredulously. He pulled off his world famous smirk.

"Better sleeping than being stuck in classes all day." He stepped back to let me in. His room was messy-like always.

"So, to what do I owe the honour of being graced with your presence?" He asked as he sat across from me. This was where things were going to get awkward. So of course, me being the insane person that I am, jumped right to the chase.

"I want to be your friend." I said pointedly. His grin widened.

"You_ are_ my friend." He pointed out. I rolled my eyes.

"That's not what I mean and you know it. I want to be just your friend. Nothing more than that."

Adrian P.O.V.

To say that I was surprised would be lying. To say that I was upset would also be lying. In fact, I was happy, because her ending our very short relationship first saved me from having to do it. And she honestly wanted to still be my friend. Unlike most girls, who just said that to imitate every boring chick flick that the world created, Rose sincerely valued our friendship, and so did I.

I nodded, not knowing what to say. "Okay."

She laughed. "Okay? That's all you have to say?" She sighed happily. "Good old Adrian. I'd love to stay and chat…but I'm starving." She said as she got up and walked to the door.

"You're always hungry." I said as I headed to the bathroom.

"You're always smoking and drinking, but you don't hear me saying anything about that, do you?" She retorted.

"Yes, I do actually. Your always like 'Adrian stop smoking' or 'Adrian are you sober' or 'Adrian your liver's going to die if you continue doing what you're doing'." I said as I mimicked her voice.

"Only 'cause I care." She said as she left. I hopped in the shower, happy and content. You know what really bugs me? For some strange, retarded reason when you flush the toilet and then take a shower the water is always boiling hot. I flushed the toiled before I got in, then ended up jumping out when the water burned my skin. Random thoughts were running through my head as I waited for the water to cool down, and one of them was why wasn't I upset that Rose had just dumped me? And what had Alice meant earlier? And why was I so eager to go to dinner, and, most importantly, why did I put my socks on top of my toothbrush?

I didn't know the answers to any of these questions, because the only answer that I had come up with was to stupid to be the right one. Wasn't it?


	8. Chapter 8

Marie P.O.V.

Did you ever hear the story about the two sheep that hated each other but were put under a spell to love each other at the same time? Don't feel bad if you haven't heard of this story before-I'm just making it up as I go.

Anyways, this new story has a very interesting moral to it. Basically, the two sheep end up killing each other because they hate each other enough to want the other dead, but they also end up killing themselves because they love each other. It's confusing-trust me, I would know, but I kind of feel like one of those poor sheep right now. The way I see it, the moral of the story is: stay the heck away from certain sheep (a.k.a. boys) unless you want to end up dead (a.k.a. heartbroken and angry).

So, basically, the rest of my week went perfectly. I did well in all my classes, got asked out to the dance by Levon, and of course, ignored Adrian, talking to him only when I had no other option, aside from flipping him off which even I thought was a bit extreme.

So tell me this, how come even though I distanced myself farther and farther away from Adrian every day, I still dreamt about him? And I'm not talking about ordinary dreams that you forget as soon as you wake up. I'm talking about dreams that were so vivid and life-like that sometimes I got confused about whether or not I was dreaming.

It was breakfast and I wasn't really hungry, especially when I heard a giggle to my right. Of course I knew who it was, Adrian's new girlfriend. Her name was Crystal, but I secretly called her the airhead. She may have been a pretty blond Moroi, but she was still an airhead. If this was Adrian's replacement for Rose, than I would much rather him and Rose get back together-at least they didn't suck each others faces for twenty minutes. That was another one of my slams against Crystal-what type of normal person was able to make-out for twenty minutes and not get light-headed? Is it possible to actually be so stupid that you never learnt how to breath?

When they once again started kissing I got up from the table and poured myself my third cup of coffee. I was obsessed.

"How long do you think they'll be at it for today?" Lissa asked as she escaped with Christian. As far as I know, Rose was in detention-Stan's class, of course.

I rolled my eyes. "All that oxygen loss can't be good for their brains. Then again, I don't think Crystal's brain can get more damaged than it all ready is."

"I don't understand why any girl would be attracted to Adrian anyways, after watching this." Christian said as he wrinkled his brow.

I could understand, but I wasn't going to tell him that.

I wandered off to each of my class. Rose caught up with me right before Stan's class, and we each took our seats.

I looked to my left and noticed again that Meredith was gone. I hadn't seen her for a few days, and for all I know, she had simply moved schools.

Apparently I was wrong because she came barging into class wearing a hoodie that covered her face in shadows as well as her arms, long jeans, and gloves. Was she trying to make a fashion statement? I wouldn't have been able to tell it was her, except her mousy brown hair was peeking out from under her hood. She caught me staring (trust me, I wasn't the only one) and beckoned me to come. I shared a weird look with Rose but got up.

"What do you want?" I asked uncertainly as I tried to see her face more clearly. She grabbed my shoulders and pushed me, hard.

I expected to stumble back a foot or two, maybe even trip on someone's books. However, I did not expect to go flying across the room and hit my head on the wall. I heard the sickening crack as my head connected with the hard concrete, and I tumbled to the floor.

The class was silent for a second or two-in shock, or fear maybe. And then the screaming started.

Rose P.O.V.

I remained glued to my chair as everyone else was, watching Stan attempt to drive a silver stake through Meredith's heart. She had become a Strigoi, only problem was, she was a Dhampir.

Moroi could become Strigoi by drinking a human's blood until the human died, but humans and Dhampirs? The could only become a Strigoi if a Strigoi drained their blood and replaced it with their own. Which meant, that Meredith was created by someone at the Academy. So, there was another Strigoi.

Meredith cackled as the stake went through her heart. It was a sickening laugh, one that was uber-creepy.

The class was hectic. Everyone was running around, screaming, crying, yelling. Some of the novices had ran out of the room, looking for guardians, while some were just sitting in their desk, wide-eyed as they took in the dead Strigoi. I think we were all in shock.

Just when Stan had managed to calm the hysterical class, another Strigoi leapt through the doors and sank his fangs into Stan. This time, the class didn't hesitate. I mean, most of the time Stan was a pain in the ass and I didn't like him, but, well, arguing with the same person for as long as you could remember grew on you, and although he was a jerk, he was one of my favourite guardians-not that I would ever let him know that.

My protective side bared its teeth, and I leapt up from my chair and pushed away the Strigoi. Stan was passed out on the floor, either unconscious or dead. I knelt by his side and picked up the silver stake that he had dropped.

Here we go again.

Adrian P.O.V.

I was walking though the halls when the screaming started. Instead of doing the smart thing-like getting a guardian-I ran to the class as fast as I could. The door was already open, and I could see that it was Rose's class. The sight in front of my eyes was terrible. Guardian Alto was passed out in a pool of blood erupting from his neck, and Rose, Eddie, and a few other novices were plunging a stake through the heart of a Strigoi. It was the first time I had ever seen one this close, and I hoped that it would be the last.

I remained rooted to where I stood with an ugly sort of fascination welling inside of me. I watched as Eddie found an opening and plunged the stake into the Strigoi's heart.

The class was silent for a moment, than people started screaming out names. I saw some people kneel beside Guardian Alto and shake him silly, calling out his name. I saw some people standing beside the Strigoi body-bodies. There were two. And I saw a larger group of people, standing around something-or someone-while they were crying.

Rose moved away from the Strigoi and locked eyes with me. It was a short look-but she looked panicked. She ran towards the cluster of crying people, and I forced myself to follow.

The first thing I saw was a crumpled body, lying on the floor. The body had long, beautiful curly hair and tanned skin. My heart squeezed as the second thing I saw was the large pool of blood that surrounded her head. She was long gone-I could tell by her aura.

I didn't cry-not because it wasn't manly or anything like that. I think the real reason was that my head kept saying over and over again that this couldn't be happening. According to Rose, Marie was the best novice around here, even better than her. So if that was true, than why was she lying on the floor, completely dead?

I was vaguely aware of watching Rose kneel beside her and smack the hell out of her, calling for her to get up.

Rose looked up at me. "Adrian. You use spirit, heal her."

I shook my head. "I'm not strong enough to do that."

"Than try." She snapped at me.

I sighed and knelt down. Gingerly, I placed my hand on Marie's cold shoulder and willed the spirit to flow. I think I tried harder that day than I ever had before, because before I passed out from the mental strain of using spirit, I saw her wonderful eyes open, and knew that, no matter how much she hated me, we shared a bond.

Marie P.O.V.

I felt a strong pair of arms lift me up gently, and I frowned. The pain in my head was enough to make me want to sleep, and do nothing but sleep.

I thought of Meredith again, and thought of all the things that I could have done to change what had happened. I was going to be the worst guardian ever, if I couldn't handle even a push from a Strigoi.

"No you won't. If anything, you'll turn out to be the best out of all of us." Said the voice that was carrying me. I didn't know that I had spoken out loud.

I forced myself to see past my foggy brain to recognize the voice.

"Eddie?" I asked. Even the effort it took to form that one word was agonizing.

"Yup. Don't talk right now, you're still to weak."

I frowned again. I didn't like people using the word 'weak' when they were talking about me.

I heard him enter the infirmary and call out for Dr. Oldenzki. My skin felt itchy, and when I cast my eyes downwards, I saw blood, blood, and more blood. Dr. Oldenzki gasped when she saw me, and I passed out once again. Except this time, it was different, because, while I left my own body, I was pulled into another ones. Adrian's. It was like my mind had merged with his, making us one person, instead of two. I could feel his emotions as strongly as my own. I could feel his exhaustion and his worry.

Looking though his eyes, I could see Rose sitting across from him, as well as Christian and Lissa. They were all staring at him, and I could feel his discomfort.

"Can you all stop staring at me?" He asked. "It's making me feel violated."

"That's a hypocritical thing to say." Christian said as he intertwined his hand with Lissa's. "Considering all the women that you've violated in the past."

"You make me sound like a rapist." Adrian retorted. He actually enjoyed this.

"I'm still deciding whether you _are_ a rapist, or just a playboy. I'm thinking both." Christian gave Adrian his usual snaky smirk. Adrian didn't reply.

It was weird to be in Adrian's head while he was thinking about me. His mind was replaying the scene he say in the classroom, and I saw it as clearly as I would see one of my own memories. I looked like crap, what with the blood everywhere.

Adrian got up from his seat and went to go look out the window. It was snowing outside, and I felt his appreciation for it. The sky was lightening outside and he yawned.

He turned back to our friends. "I'm going to bed."

'Really?" Asked Lissa. "I always figured that you went to bed after we did, seeing as you sleep so much." She teased lightly, but with actual concern. I could see a light surrounding Lissa-but I wasn't sure what it was. It was golden, and felt…happy.

"What else is there to do, besides sleeping?" Adrian asked.

"Lots of things, you just don't like any of them, since they require hard work or actual functioning brainpower." Rose laughed.

He shrugged. "Hard work never killed anybody…but why should I take the chance?" Before waiting for their response he left. Instead of him going to his room, he turned and headed towards the infirmary, where I was staying.

"Adrian!" Called out a voice that I would know from anywhere. The pang of annoyance that I felt coming from Adrian mirrored my own.

"Hello, Crystal." He said as his not-all-there girlfriend threw herself into his arms. She pressed her lips to his for a sloppy kiss. Gross.

Adrian broke the kiss and Crystal tip-toed up to his ears. She said a few things to him that were not exactly appropriate, and they all centered around him going to her room for the night. I would rather burn off my ears than listen to her girly voice purr into his ear.

"Not tonight." Adrian said as he pulled himself out of her embrace. She pouted. There it was again! That light that I had seen around Lissa, only this light was different. It was red and pink with threads of gold and blue.

"Tomorrow, then." She said with a sexy purr as she bit his lower lip. I think I'm going to be sick. She sauntered away and-.

I was thrust back into my own body as something sharp poked my arm. I rolled my eyes downward to find myself looking into the serious face of Dr. Oldenzki.

"Marie." She began softly. "When you came in you were absolutely covered in blood, but when I checked your head, there was no wound. Who's blood was it?"

Before I answered I looked down to my arm, where an I.V. was poking out. That would explain the sharp poke that I had felt.

My head was spinning as I tried to answer. "I'm not sure." Was all I could manage.

"Dr. Oldenzki?" Came a voice from the doorway. I didn't need to look, I knew who it was.

"Yes, Mr. Ivashkov?" Came the doctors reply.

"Can I speak with you for a moment?" He asked. I didn't think it was possible for him to sound so polite, but I also didn't think it was possible for him to turn down a hook-up with a blonde.

Dr. Oldenzki sighed. "I don't see why not, but make it quick." She patted my leg and left. I could hear them talking, but I could not understand their words. I only caught a few things, like "Lissa" and "heal". I heard the word "bond" once, but I didn't know what it meant.

I yawned. God, I was so tired. I felt like I had pulled three all-nighters in a row. I rested my head back on the pillow and closed my eyes. I was in that wonderful state of being half-awake and half-asleep when I heard a chair scoot beside me. I opened my eyes and saw Rose and Lissa come in and sit down.

"How are you?" Lissa asked as I sat up. The pounding in my head went from agonizing to just a migraine. It was an improvement.

"I'm wonderful. The only thing that's is really hurt is my ego." I said with a smile.

Rose smiled for a minute, and then sighed. "We have a story to tell you."

I raised my eyebrow. "Okay, then."

"It will explain why you can see into Adrian's mind." Lissa said suddenly. I laughed after a minute.

"That's a relief. I thought that I was going insane." And with that, I settled in to hear the most bizarre, yet truthful story ever.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter nine

Marie P.O.V.

I've some pretty weird stories in my life, but this one was so strange, and so bizarre that it just _had _to be fake. However, at the same time, it also had to be true, because no one could create a story that convincing.

At my old school I had heard rumours about the things that Rose and Lissa mentioned in their story. At my old school, Dimitri Belikov had been a topic of gossip for a while, nothing of interest to me. He was just one of the best guardians turned Strigoi. It had happened before, and sure, I was disappointed to hear it, but it happened half-way around the world from me, so it didn't linger in my mind for more than a few moments.

Rose and Lissa got teary as they told me the story of their lives. Of how, after they had been re-captured and forced back to St. Vladimir's Rose had fallen in love with none other than the famous Belikov himself. I didn't really need to know all of the details, but once Rose and Lissa started talking they weren't able to stop. They told me about how Victor Dashkov had captured Lissa and forced her to heal him by torture. Another old rumour. They told me about the Badica attack-which had also put my school on high alert, although they (sadly) didn't whisk us away on a mandatory ski trip- and how they had met Adrian at the ski lodge. They also told me about the bond that they shared, and how Rose was shadow-kissed, which pretty much answered all of my questions.

When Rose got to the part about the attack on the school, she started to sob. She kept talking though. Sometimes it was nice to be able to do that, to keep talking and have someone listen. Sometimes, when I was really upset, I would write a nasty email to no one, just to get my feeling out someway. Apparently I was Rose's 'no one' at this point.

Dr. Oldenzki ushered Lissa and Rose out of the room. Apparently, I needed to rest.

"I don't think that there is anything wrong with me." I said stubbornly as she injected a clear liquid into my I.V.

Dr. Oldenzki looked at me calmly. "I'm not going to take any chances. Spend the rest of the day here, and _maybe_ I will let you out tonight. Anyways, sleep will do you good, you must have been so stressed out this week, being new to here and all."

I yawned. God, what did they use to knock us out? Elephant sedative?

"But I don't have a concussion or anything. I am completely fine, except for a bump on my head."

"Just to be safe." She soothed.

My rebellious streak ran strong as the sedative tried to force me into a deep sleep. I didn't want to sleep…but God! I was so tired.

I curled up into a ball-or at least I tried to do that without ripping out my I.V. I shook my hair around my face, creating a kind of curtain that blocked out some of the bright lights.

Adrian P.O.V.

I saw Rose and Lissa coming my way. Since I had supposedly 'gone to bed early' (like I would ever actually do that) I knew that I was busted.

When I saw the looks on their faces I knew that I wasn't about to get called out on my lie. They were both crying, which scared the crap out of me. I had never, ever seen Rose cry before. She didn't cry when she came back from the trip to Spokane without Mason, she didn't cry after the attack at St. Vlad's, and she didn't even cry when Dimitri was…overwhelmed that day in the caves.

"What's wrong?" I asked as they walked by. "Did someone die around here or what?"

"Nothing's wrong, Adrian. Shouldn't you be in bed, anyways?" Lissa said stonily.

I backtracked. What was wrong with her? If I had known that people were going to be bitch to me then I would have gone to my room and stayed there.

She ran a hand through her pale hair. "I'm sorry. It's just-."

"Can we go?" Rose asked impatiently as she tugged on Lissa's hand.

They walked away without another word. The expression on my face must have been comical. Usually I said something rude before people got pissed off at me.

Deciding not to let it bother me, I turned around and wandered aimlessly, letting my feet take me wherever the hell they wanted to go.

I ended up outside the infirmary-again. I had gone there earlier, but had left because Dr. Oldenzki had kicked me out after I explained to her why Marie appeared fine, minus a few bumps and bruises.

I opened the door and slid in. The bright lights made me blink a few times. I was surprised to find her asleep, and, honestly, a bit disappointed.

We needed to…talk. To talk about things, about the bond, and…wow. I must be suffering from head trauma, if I actually wanted to talk about serious things.

I quietly pulled up a chair beside her. When I had last seen her, she had been covered in blood and hand an unhealthy tone to her skin. I had forgotten how beautiful she really was with her wildly curly almost-black hair and tanned skin. I could see her slender frame underneath the thin hospital blanket, along with her extremely sexy curves.

Her hair was covering her face, so I pushed it away gently. I was surprised at the warm feelings that were building inside of me as I looked at her face, which was surprisingly vulnerable.

As I was pushing back her hair I felt a large bump at the back of her head. I frowned, and spirit flowed through my fingers. It was a subconscious decision, I hadn't known that I would heal her further until I actually was.

Her eyes flew open and regarded me guardedly. I moved my hand.

She groaned and sat up. "You're making me dizzy."

I raised an eyebrow. The idea of making her dizzy was a dream come true. "I tend to have that effect on women."

She rolled her eyes. "That would explain why I feel nauseous while talking to you. Anyways, I don't mean physically dizzy. When you did that…thing that you do, it's a weird sensation. It's like happiness, or something. I don't know, it's just different."

She yawned widely and reached her hand back to touch her head. Her eyes widened.

"It's gone."

"You knew that it would be." I pointed out. Her aura was foggy, the way it got when people were drunk. Since I didn't think that she was drunk, I assumed that they had given her a sedate or something.

She smiled wryly at me. "I know. It just takes some getting used."

Wouldn't I know it. I've been living with it for twenty one years yet I still have a hard time grasping it.

"Ha!" Marie said triumphantly, scaring the crap out of me. I think I jumped about twenty feet into the air.

"What?" I asked.

"You can get me out of here!" She smiled like a kid that had found out that Christmas was coming early. I raised an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah? And how am I supposed to do that?" Probably not by any allowed means.

"Use compulsion on Dr. Oldenzki." She said as if that should be obvious.

I knew it.

"We aren't allowed to do that here."

She raised an eyebrow. "Since when have you cared about whether you're allowed to do something or not? You also aren't allowed to smoke and drink, but you do that all the time."

Touché. "Maybe I don't want to use compulsion on her. Why should I? You're always rude to me anyways." I said haughtily.

"I'm not rude to you." She objected weakly.

I raised a hand and started counting on my fingers. "You never talk to me. You ignore me when I try to be nice, and when I do talk to you your answers are all one syllable."

She said nothing but the look on her face said it all. She didn't trust me. Of course she didn't. After all, I did have a well-earned reputation with women. She suddenly crossed her arms over her chest.

"Well, if you aren't going to help me than why are you here?" She asked crossly.

"You know, you have a bit of a temper." I pointed out.

"Well, you're a bit crazy-literally. Do you see me commenting on that?" She shot back. "They told me, you know. Why you drink and smoke so much. In my opinion, you would still do all of those things even if you didn't specialize in Spirit."

I nodded. "You're probably right. Nothing beats getting wasted before eleven in the morning." I could almost hear her eyes rolling as I stretched out on the uncomfortable plastic hospital chair. I hadn't sat in one of those since the first grade.

I smirked at her. "If I help you out of here what will you do for me?" I asked slyly.

"How does a kick in the ass sound?" She asked sweetly.

I laughed. "Your sense of humour enlightens me. Wait here a moment." I said as I got up and walked in Dr. Oldenzki's office. I knocked on her door.

"Yes, Adrian?" She asked, not unkindly. I fixed my eyes on hers and willed the magic to come out. "I think Marie is fine, don't you?" I asked. She blinked a few tmies, then her eyes glazed over.

"Yes, I do think she's fine."

"And you also think that you should let her out now." I continued.

"Yes, I do. In fact, why don't you go and tell her that she can leave?" She said dreamily.

I nodded. "No problem." dropped the compulsion and she returned her attention back to her paperwork.

When I returned back to the infirmary I found Marie holding a bouquet of Lilies. She buried her nose in them and took a long sniff.

I leaned against the wall. "Who sent you those?" I asked, working hard to keep the notch of annoyance out of my voice.

"Somebody." She replied without looking at me. "Why? You jealous?"

Her tone was teasing. She didn't really expect me to answer. So I nodded. "Yes, actually. I am."

"Adrian-." She began. I cut her off.

"Come on. Let's get out of here."

She hopped out of the bed, wearing jeans and a t-shirt. I wondered how she had gotten those.

"Some clothing was brought over for me earlier today." She said absentmindedly as she pulled on her shoes. She walked to the door, leaving behind the fragrant flowers.

"You aren't taking them?" I asked. She shook her head.

"Why not?" I asked. A girl who didn't like flowers. My mind kept saying does-not-compute over and over again.

"I don't want them." She said quietly. It was past curfew, and the Moroi/ Guardians weren't going to be happy if they caught us.

"Let's go this way." I said as I pulled her towards the doors to outside. It would be a quicker way to get there. She frowned.

"The sun's up. And it's really cold." I rolled my eyes.

"Don't worry about me. I'm made of stone." I held the door open for her, like the good gentle-man that I am. The cold winter air stung like a bitch as we walked across the campus. The sun was out, as Marie had said, and my eyes and skin were burning like crazy.

"I told you so-." She started smugly. Her words cut off with an "oomph" as she slid on a patch of ice and went tumbling down.

"I think I have a disorder. I absolutely cannot walk on ice." She complained as I helped her up. I studied her aura. It was still silver with threads of gold, but today there was a dark smudge in the middle of it. It was hardly visible, but it was still there. The affects of being shadow-kissed.

She looked above her head, following my gaze. "What does it look like?" She asked.

"It's very beautiful." I said as I grinned. She rolled her eyes.

"Wow. You can use words that have three syllables. I'm impressed."

I ignored her comment. "There's something weird about your aura. It's different from anyone else's. There's a colour in it that I have never seen in anyone's aura except yours."

She seemed shaken but covered it up. "That just proves how special I really am." She said as she grinned. This time I rolled my eyes. I pulled out my cigarettes.

"Do you mind?" I asked.

"No." She said.

"Really?" I asked. Most people that I know hate the smell of cigarette smoke.

"If I had said yes would you have put them away? I don't think so. Anyways, they don't smell that bad."

"Now I don't want one anymore." I said, pretending to pout.

"You only want what you can't have. Then, when you have it you don't want it anymore." She said sadly. I had a feeling that we weren't talking about the cigarettes anymore.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Marie P.O.V.

I opened the door to my room and turned to Adrian.

"Thank you-for everything." I told him seriously, meaning more than busting me out of the infirmary. He saved my life-the bond was proof of that. He smiled at me. An actual smile that showed all of his teeth-fangs included. I loved that smile. It was a smile that I could drown in.

"So, if you don't like lilies, what flowers do you like?" He asked me as he leaned his tall frame on the wall.

"Roses. White roses." I told him. "Why?"

He shrugged. "No reason. I was just asking.

"Uh-huh. Sure." I said, unconvinced. I backed away into my room. Finally. These must have been the longest few days of my life. I kicked off my shoes and threw myself into the bed, snuggling under the covers. I yawned. Those stupid sedatives were still in my system. My eyes drooped down, and I slept. Thank god it's Friday. No classes tomorrow.

"That's it. I hereby declare that you are addicted to coffee." Lissa announced as I poured my fourth cup of coffee.

"At least I'm not an alcoholic-unlike some people that you know." I pointed out.

"I heard that." Adrian said, making everyone jump except me. I knew he was there. That's why I had said it. "And I would like you to know that I am very hurt over that mean comment."

"The world's smallest violin is playing just for you." I said, rubbing two of my fingers together. He lightly kicked me from under the table and turned to Lissa.

"Where are the two crazies?" He asked.

"Christian is with Jill. And Rose can't be persuaded to get out of bed this early on a Saturday." Lissa said.

"Who's Jill?" I asked as I took a bite out of my toast.

"Christian's student." Adrian said. "Who knew that he liked kids so much?"

Lissa rolled her eyes. "Jill isn't a kid. She's a few years younger than us." She turned back to me. "Christian's teaching her how to use offensive magic."

Ooh. Bad, bad things. I opened my mouth to reply and stopped when a big blond airhead threw herself into Adrian's lap. Stupid people annoyed me, and Christi broke the bar on that one. I got up to leave when the tongues started going down throats.

_Don't go. Wait a minute._ Adrian said. I looked at him, but no one gave any indication that he had talked . Then I realized that I hadn't heard the voice out loud. I had heard it inside of my head. Sadly, he couldn't hear me, otherwise I would be pestering him with questions like : how the hell can you like someone so stupid, or : the saying about guys liking girls with hair bigger than brains must be true. I however, could tell that he didn't like her-not really, anyways.

They broke the amazingly sloppy kiss and Christi lifted her leg, showing off a to-die-for purple stiletto. I instantly coveted them, until she said something that made me snort coffee up my nose.

"Do these shoes make my ankle look fat?" She asked.

There was a moment of silence at the table, and then I couldn't hold it in anymore. I laughed, and laughed until coffee came up my nose and I started chocking. I saw Lissa's head bent over, her silvery-blond hair covering her face. Her body was shaking with laughter.

It appeared that stupid had just reached a new level. And I need to leave now, before I say something rude that I will later on regret.

I hear Christi asking what was so funny as I get up and leave. I start snickering until a warm arm winds around my waist.

"So you're still alive?" A teasing voice whispered into my ear. I twisted my head back to see the smiling face of Levon.

"I must be. Unless I'm a ghost." I said prophetically. His hand brushed down my arm, sending tiny shivers throughout my body.

"You're too warm to be a ghost. Too soft. Anyways, ghosts are supposed to be ugly and gross, and you're too beautiful to ever be ugly." He said those words whispered into my ears, making me blush and rendering me speechless.

_He's making me gag. Are all of your boyfriends this sappy?_ Adrian said, his voice loud and clear in my head. I jumped and looked around guilty. I raised my hand behind me and flipped him off. I could swear that I could hear him laugh from across the room.

Levon grabbed my chin and kissed me lightly. His mouth was warm and tasted like coffee, but before I could get to wonder if I would consider him to be boyfriend-material, he pulled away and left. I almost called out objectively. That must have been the shortest kiss in the history of short kisses.

_That wasn't a kiss. No wonder you like kissing me so much-everyone else sucks at it. _A nagging voice said sarcastically inside of my head.

I felt like screaming at the top of my lungs, and telling Adrian to shut his mouth unless he wanted me to shut it for him. I called him something under my breath that rhymed with 'ducking glass mole' and left. I checked the time on my watch and swore when I noticed the date. Today was the 20th, which meant that for some odd reason tomorrow I was invited to the royal court, something that didn't excite me as it should have. At least it gave me an excuse for packing a suitcase, something that I enjoyed doing.

Hours later, I was sitting on the floor in my room _surrounded_ by shoes. I must have honestly had over forty pairs of shoes that ranged from cute black ballet flats to green stilettos with snake skin print to black pumps that had a collar that went over my knee. Why did I need so many shoes? Can someone say, shoe addiction?

I was contemplating whether or not to bring my red open-toed pumps when someone knocked on my door.

"It's open." I called while I tucked the red shoes into my suitcase and reached for another pair.

"It's me." Rose said as she walked in. "I wanted to ask you something." Her eyes widened when she saw the circle of shoes that I was sitting in. I looked at the shoes that I now held in my hand. They were black, and could either be dressy or casual, depending on my outfit. I tucked them into my suitcase also.

"What shoe size are you?" Rose asked. I laughed.

"You came all the way down here to ask me what my shoe size was?"

She ignored me and dropped down beside me. "Oh, can I borrow these?" She asked, holding up a pair of red velvet heels.

"I'm a size seven." I told her.

"For these shoes I'll squish my foot down half a size." She told me, grinning. "You have almost as much clothing as Lissa does."

"Did you really come here to ask me for shoes?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

She waved her hand at me the way someone would wave off a fly. "That doesn't matter anymore."

"Um, okay?" I said uncertainly. We sat in silence for a while, but I struck up a conversation with Rose while she occasionally made a gaa-gaa face over some pairs of my shoes. By the time that she had left, I was completely pooped and done packing. I think I had more shoes than clothing in there.

I was walking outside to the tiny clearing that I had discovered when something that could only be described as a human tornado crashed into me.

"Whoa, there." I said as I steadied the person who had crashed into me. She appeared to be fourteen or fifteen, and had curly brown hair and green eyes. "You okay there, kid?" I asked. She frowned a me.

"Don't call me kid. My name's Jill." Somewhere in the back of my mind the name rang a bell.

"You're the kid-I mean girl that Christian's teaching, right?" I asked. She nodded eagerly.

"Yes. I just finished now. It's kind of hard since I specialized in water and Christian specialized in fire, but he's doing a good job. It's fun actually, and gives me something to do because sometimes it's gets really… anyways." She stopped talking with what appeared to be a great effort. She was cute, and reminded me of myself when I was younger, only I wasn't as tall as she is.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"Marie Gavrilesca. I'm new here." I told her. Her green eyes flashed with awareness.

"You're Adrian's girlfriend."

I frowned, momentarily speechless. "No-no I'm not."

She shook her head. "Yes you are. That's what everyone is saying."

I rolled my eyes. "So if everyone told you that jumping off a cliff was cool would you do it?" I asked.

She shrugged. "Probably. Anyways, I have to go. I'm meeting someone." She got a dreamy look over her face and I wondered who that 'someone' might be. "Nice to meet you."

"Bye, Jill." I said absently as she walked away. I had forgotten my reason for coming out here in the first place. I shrugged and glanced at my watch. It was a little past one. Dear God, It had taken me over an hour to pack for a few days. How pathetic.

I steered clear of all of the major hang-out areas, because I wasn't really in the mood for a bunch of people to crowd around me with their 'she's alive' stares.

Once in my room I dared to look at the huge piles of letters that sat on my table. Three from Chloe, my best friend, at least five from my mom, and surprisingly one from Daniel, my obnoxious brother whom I hated with every fibre of my being. I picked up the enormous stack and headed to the library, where I could write my excuses for not writing in peace and quiet. I should have known by now that there was no such thing as peace and quiet at the academy.

"What are you doing?" Adrian asked as he snuck up on me in his quiet way of walking. Of course, although I could tell that his twisted mind found it funny to sneak up on people, I already knew that he was in the library as soon as he walked in. There goes my solitary time.

I held up my pen. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

He ignored me and pulled up a chair. _Who knew that writing a letter could be so sexy?_

I jumped. "Can you keep your thoughts to yourself? Or at least go away." I snapped.

"I thought that I could brighten your gloomy existence with my presence." He said with a lazy grin.

"You didn't just brighten my existence, you blinded it. So your job is done. Bye." I returned to my letters. Apparently the school had told my mom about the 'accident' and she in turn had told Chloe, who had told my other friends and God knows who else. Its funny that I was still major gossip half way across the world from my old school.

He sighed good-naturedly and put his feet on the table, bringing them down hastily when the librarian shot him a dirty look. "It must be so hard for you, pretending that you hate me. I have a really good idea." He said, a wicked glint entering his enviable green eyes.

"Oh yeah? What's that?" I asked, regretting it. Adrian's good ideas were usually rated R.

"How about you drop the act of pretending to hate me and we go make-out in the back of the library?" He asked as he traced pattern's on the back of my hand.

I groaned and dropped my head on the desk. "No wonder your parents sent you away to boarding school."

He stiffened, mentally and physically. So I had finally touched a nerve in the nerve-less Adrian Ivashkov. Sadly, my happy dance was put to the side when I felt the genuine hurt through our bond. Who would have thought that Adrian actually cared about his parents?

"Hey. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." I said as I made a move to touch his shoulder. The letter that I was holding slashed a narrow cut on my finger. I frowned at the paper cut. Those suckers hurt like hell.

"Ouch." Adrian said. I raised my eyebrow at him. "The better I get at using spirit the more I can feel people's auras. When people have a strong emotion like pain, or lust, I can feel it like it was my own." He explained as he reached for my hand and intertwined is fingers with mine. I realized what he was doing.

"You don't have to heal me every time I get hurt." I said as he pushed the magic into my hand. He didn't remove his hand from mine and since it felt warm and a little rough, I let it stay.

"Maybe I want to." He said seriously. Well, as serious as Adrian could sound.

He let go of my hand and leaned back, staring at me until I felt like getting a mirror and seeing if I had lettuce in my teeth. Then he got up.

"I have to go. Oh, and I thought you should know something." He added as he stood up. "I broke up with Christi."

I'm in trouble now, I thought to myself as he turned away, walking with his typical Adrian swagger that said he knew exactly how hot he was and he wasn't afraid to show it off.

A big, goofy grin slid over my face. Oh yeah. I'm in trouble now.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11  
Adrian P.O.V.  
　  
"I'm coming!" I yelled as Eddie and Rose yelled at me to hurry up. The plane was there, and everyone was waiting for me. Well, correction. One person was also running late. "I don't see you carrying a suitcase." I said to Rose as they shoved my suitcase into the cargo hold. She thrust a thumb over her shoulder.  
"Eddie's carrying it." Poor Eddie looked overwhelmed as he lugged what Rose deemed essential for a few days over to the plane. Ha-ha, sucker.  
"Come on, get on the plane already!" Lissa shouted from an open window.  
I ignored her. People listened to me, not the other way around.  
"Where's your better half?" Rose asked as she peered around my shoulder.  
"I have no clue who that might be." I lied.  
Rose rolled her eyes and started swatting the air around her.  
"What the hell are you doing?" I asked.  
"Swatting away these damn vibes that come up whenever you and Marie are within hearing distance of each other." She said with a grin.  
I rolled my eyes. "Aren't you the comedian?" She grabbed my shoulders and turned me around, giving me a push towards the academy.  
"Go get her. We're leaving in ten minutes."  
"Why am I an retrieval duty?" I whined.  
"Because I said so. Now go, and don't come back until you've got a one-hundred and ten pound female with you."  
"My lucky day." I said as I hurried away.  
　  
Marie P.O.V.  
I giggled as Levon ran his hand around my waist. He pressed his lips back to mine and we rolled around for a while. Of course, I had lost track of the time, so while everybody was waiting for me, I was busy making out in my room. The door slammed open, nearly giving me a heart attack.  
"Jesus Christ." I said, startled.  
"Hey!" Levon objected as I pushed him onto the floor.  
"How interesting." Adrian said dryly, looking more bored than usual.  
"How the hell did you get in?" I asked, thanking god that I had all articles of clothing on. He held up a set of keys. "I stole these from the dorm patron."  
"So you've never heard of knocking?" I demanded.  
"Oh, I'm sorry. How about I leave, come back, and knock? Everyone's waiting for you."  
I smacked my forehead like I could've had a V8. "Darn it. I forgot." I leapt up and nearly tripped over Levon, who was still sitting on the floor. He got up and leaned down for one more kiss.  
"I'm not getting any younger here." Adrian said as he tapped his foot like a girl.  
"Okay, fine, Mr. Demanding." I grumbled. I shot him a dirty look and ushered everyone out of my room. This was so awkward it hurt.  
Adrian grabbed hold of the hand that wasn't holding a suitcase and pulled. "Come ON. Everyone's waiting." I tried again to give Levon one more kiss, but when Adrian is annoyed, the world might as be ending.  
"Your ripping my arm off." I complained as he pulled/dragged me towards the plane. His irritation was spilling through the bond, and wasn't really improving my mood.  
He looked back at me, and the next image that went through his head made me laugh. In it, Adrian was wrapping his hands around Levon's throat-and I was helping. And the emotion… was weird for Adrian. He didn't get jealous, it just wasn't him. Adrian didn't have a reason to feel jealous over anyone. He never had to watch anyone buy something that he couldn't get, and let's face it, the guy could have any girl that he wanted with the snap of his fingers. Even Rose had given in the end.  
Yet there he was, green with jealousy because he had seen me kissing someone else. Well, more than kissing, but still.  
However, I also couldn't stand to have Adrian mad at me, mostly because I was in a good mood and his sour mood was making me annoyed.  
"Hey. Slow down, will ya?" I asked as I sped up so we were beside each other. "Don't be so prissy. Be happy. No classes for a few days! No Christian either." I teased. "You're going to be so bored without your favorite person to argue with."  
Adrian rolled his eyes, but the dark cloud in his head vanished. "I'm sure he's going to miss me more than I'm going to miss him."  
Who wouldn't?  
He didn't let go of my hand, but his hand was large, and warm, and so perfectly altered to fit mine, that I soon forgot about it.

Adrian P.O.V  
My head was so fuzzed that by the time we reached the plane, my brain was having a two sided argument. One side wanted to make naughty images of Marie in my head, while the other side didn't want her to 'see' that I was making indecent images in my head. Our bond made things so much more complicated, because I knew that she liked me, and she knew that I liked her, yet she was just so stubborn, that she refused to acknowledge it.  
We climbed onto the small jet. "Finally." Lissa muttered. Was she having some sort of bad P.M.S. or something? She was grumpier than usual.  
"Don't blame it on me. I wasn't the one making-ow!" I exclaimed as Marie brought her foot down on mine. Hard.  
She looked up and smiled sweetly at me. "Opps. I slipped. If you say anything more, I might 'slip' again. But this time, I'll slip a litter higher. Kapiche?  
I pretended to be scared. "Yes ma'am. But since you get to slip higher, does that mean that I can also?" I asked, my voice dropping to a murmur. She rolled her eyes and walked away. I followed her down the aisle and plopped down beside her. She rolled her eyes again but didn't comment. Maybe she was finally realizing that she couldn't easily get rid of me.  
"You aren't very excited for this trip, are you?" I asked as she looked out the window glumly.  
She laughed. "Is it that obvious?"  
I grabbed her hand and held on when she tried to pull away. She sighed through her nose. "Adrian-." She began.  
"Shush. It's just you and me for the next few days. Don't spoil my fun." I teased.  
"Oh sure. You and me, with the addition of three guardians, plus Rose, Lissa, and Eddie."

"They don't count."  
"You're exactly like my brother." She said, exasperated.  
She had a brother? "Well, I'll take that as a compliment, since he's related to you, he must be a great guy."  
She laughed ruefully. "Great guy my ass. He's one of the reason's I left in the first place."

"What are the other reasons?" I asked, actually wanting to know. She smiled beatifically at me.

"Long story."

She obviously didn't want to talk about it, so I did something that was nearly impossible: I forgot about it.

She started yawning as soon as the plane took off.

"If you open your mouth any wider you're going to start catching flies." I stage-whispered to her. She hit my arm. "Shut up."

I smiled at her and leaned over the seat to talk to Lissa. Rose was at the back, sleeping, so that the 'ghosts' wouldn't bother her. Soon enough, Lissa fell asleep also, and when I turned back to Marie she was also asleep. Ha, what does one man do in a plane full of sleeping women? Especially when said man does not have the decency to leave their dreams alone?

I leaned my head back on the seat and forced myself into Marie's dream. Just because she was asleep didn't mean that she could get rid of me.

Marie P.O.V.

"Miss me?" Adrian asked as he walked out of the trees. I gasped, finally figuring out the truth. I wasn't dreaming about _him_. He was invading my dreams.

I blushed. "Go away, Adrian."

Every thought that Adrian was having floated out of his head like a giant bubble. How immature and childish. How completely Adrian. At the moment he was thinking that I was the sexiest girl that he had ever seen.

"That wouldn't happen to have anything to do with this, would it?" I asked, pointing at my clothes. Red heels, tiny skirt, and a top so tight it should have been hard to breathe. He shook his head.

"You always look just right. Whether you're wearing a sweat shirt, or nothing at all." He smiled devilishly. "Still, I wouldn't mind seeing the last one."

"Oh, grow up."

"Never." He pulled me into his arms and started spinning me in a slow circle.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Showing you my mad skills."

"Only because while normal boys were out playing football you were inside taking dancing lessons. Your mother's sad attempt at turning you into a gentleman who respects women." I teased lightly.

"What are you talking about? I respect women. In fact, I happen to have a very deep love of the female body."

I laughed. "I'm sure you do."

He bent down so he could whisper into my ear. I wondered how many tricks he had up his sleeve. Probably a lot. "I know one thing about you. Something you don't want me to know."

I tried to act casual and failed horribly, but then again who wouldn't if they were holding someone who was absolutely gorgeous and smelt wonderful? Adrian always smelt good-in his own way.

"Only _one_ thing? After all of this time we've spent together, I would expect you to know more than one thing."

He ignored me. "I know that you don't actually like Levon."

"Adrian-."

"Shush. I'm not done. Sure, you think he's hot, and yes, you do like him-in a ninth grade crush way. Me, on the other hand. You like me."

"Adrian-."

He cut me off again. "You like me. A lot. More than you want to admit to yourself. And Levon? He's just something for you to play with. Who you really want is me. And I want you. So how about we stop playing this silly game and you come with me to the dance?"

"_Adrian_. Will you shut the hell up and listen to me?" I demanded. I pushed him away and started walking. He grabbed my shoulder, spun me around, and pushed my back against a tree. I let him push me. I could have thrown him across the field if I wanted to. Hell, I could have killed him in under a minute if I wanted to.

"Tell me the truth." He ordered. "Tell me whether or not you want me as badly as I want you. If you don't, I'll leave you alone, I swear. Oh, and if you lie, I'm going to make your clothing disappear." He smiled sweetly at me. I had no doubt that he was completely serious.

I can't imagine Adrian being awkward about anything, but me on the other hand? Awkward situations were my middle name. So, typically, it took me a long time to meet his eyes, but when I did it felt like this weight that I never knew was there was being lifted from my chest. There was something about him that was so unsettling, so nerve-wracking-that I found myself jumping into his arms and pressing my lips to his.

He wrapped his hand in my hair and pulled my head back, until our lips barely touched. I didn't want that. I wanted to press my lips to his until he begged me to stop.

His lips just brushed against mine as he held me at bay. The tip of his tongue barely traced my lips as I opened my mouth….

He started fading. I must be waking up, or maybe he was just being a cruel man and was leaving. Or maybe-.

I woke up in Adrian's lap. Literally. My arms were around his neck, my butt was on his lap, and my feet were resting where my butt used to be. His arms were lazily clasped around my waist.

"Good morning, sunshine." He murmured quietly. The plane was completely silent as Rose and Lissa slept, and Alberta and Stan stared out the windows quietly. Guardians couldn't sleep on the job. Sometimes I wondered if they ever slept at all.

I looked into Adrian's dreamy green eyes and smiled sleepily at him. He was sober-for once-and his head was like a big shining beacon. She couldn't resist intruding on his thoughts, just a little….

She saw herself through his eyes-an angel with a halo of black hair and green eyes that shone silver. And a halo surrounded me-literally. I silver halo streaked with gold and at the moment, pink. My aura.

_So beautiful_, he thought and lightly trailed his fingers against her-_my-_cheek. I was aware of that a bit. Aware enough to lean my face into his hand. His thoughts were so sarcastic and so…so typically Adrian that I wanted to laugh. I delved deeper into his mind, surprised at what I found. Adrian-.

Just then the plane went through some turbulence that was strong enough to knock me out of his head and back into my own body. I gasped.

Adrian grinned down smugly at me. "Scared?"

I frowned and pulled myself out of his lap. He didn't relinquish his hold on my hand, so I let it stay. "No. Of course not. I-."

"Come on, everybody." Alberta ordered as the plane hit the ground shakily. My least favorite part of flying was landing.

The plane rolled to a silent stop and we all stood up. Lissa gently shook Rose awake. Lissa was so kind-her aura must have been pure gold.

We got off the plane, and my heart soared as Adrian laced his fingers with mine.

　  
　  
　


	12. Chapter 12

Authors note:

I know I have not been updating lately, and I'm just going to say that I will not be continuing with this story until I have finished the other two that I have started. I will definitely finish this someday because I 3 VA, but for now it is on hold.

Sorry for any inconvenience.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 12

Marie P.O.V.

Tatiana hated me. That was obvious the moment she came to greet us-or rather to greet

Adrian- and saw my hand intertwined with his.

"Another one?" She asked in disapproval. I quickly released his hand, and wondered for

about the billionth time why Tatiana bothered inviting me along.

Adrian, of course, wasn't fazed by his aunt's rejection of me. In fact, he shot this huge

grin at her, which, amazingly, seemed to soften up Tatiana a bit. How she could love

Adrian was a mystery to me. I mean it's not like he didn't deserve her love, she just

seemed like the complete polar opposite of him.

"You all have assigned rooms, of course, and I expect you to be joining me for dinner at

seven o'clock. Until then, feel free to explore the Palace. I'm sure Lissa can tell you

where all of the entertainment is, and our perimeters are quite lovely this time of year-if

you can stand the cold." Tatiana's attempt at being polite were lost on me, but I forced my

face into what I hoped was a friendly expression.

"Your room isn't on this side, Adrian." I said, exasperated as I stood in front of my assigned room.

"Yes it is. Room 2267."

"No, that's _my_ room not yours."

He grinned then, his green eyes playful. "Exactly."

I suddenly realized what he had in mind. I laughed. "No way are you sharing this room with me."

"You're right," he said thoughtfully. "My room's on the Ivashkov side, and the rooms are bigger there. So instead of me staying here you're coming with me."

"Um, no."

"Well the rooms here aren't that small I guess. We could stay here." He then proceeded to pick up his bag and walk into _my_ room, which, although he deemed it tiny, was nearly as big as the cafeteria at St. Vlad's.

"Adrian-"

"You know what I realized?" He asked. "Every time we're alone somebody interrupts us, or you wake up."

"_Adrian-"_

"Would it make you feel uncomfortable if I looked the door? Maximum privacy that way."

"Oh my God, do whatever the hell you want," I muttered as I pressed my fingertips to my temples.

"Always do." He sat down on the huge bed and patted the area beside him. "Come sit with me."

Oh god, did I ever want to sit beside him. Maybe that was why I purposely sat across from him, on the loveseat. He raised his eyebrows, shrugged, then came over and sat beside me. He was so pushy sometimes.

"There's something I've been meaning to do for a very long time, but never had the chance to," he murmured softly as he played with my fingers.

"What's that?"

"This," he said as he placed his hand behind my head and pressed his lips roughly to mine. I half expected someone to come barging in on us. It was the longest non-dream kiss that we'd had yet, and was ten times better than any kiss anyone had ever given me. The bond made it better. I could feel his desire and pleasure as if it were my own, doubling the way I felt, and he could feel the way I was feeling through my aura. It was like having emotions on steroids. I placed my hand gingerly on the back of his neck, but he didn't want gentle. He bit my lower lip, hard and pushed my mouth open. I tangled my fingers in his hair and dug my nails into his back with my other one. He tried to bring me over him, but on a couch that small it didn't exactly work and we ended up on the floor in a heap.

He broke away from the kiss despite my protests and went to go sit on the bed. He was so gorgeous, with his messy brown hair and dazzling green eyes.

"Well," he said in a husky voice that sent my stomach tingling. "Are you going to come beside me or not?"

He didn't have to ask twice. At that moment I would have done anything he wanted me to do.

This time the kiss was more gentle than the first, but the sense of urgency wasn't any lesser. His lips moved down to my neck, and I noticed that he kept kissing the same spot over and over again. The spot where my pulse was. I could feel his desire to sink his teeth into me, but what scared me the most was when I wanted him to do it. Which was why I pushed him away. He had me in a type of cage, with his legs on either side of mine, and his hands on my shoulders. His cheeks were pink, and his lips red from kissing.

"I wasn't going to…I swear…" He was breathing so hard he had to stop and catch his breath after every few words. "You trust me, don't you?"

I couldn't say no to a face like that, so I nodded.

"Good because I…I…"

I think that at that moment, with my emotions so tangled up and overwhelming, if he had told me that he loved me, I would have completely lost it and given in to him physically, in any way he wanted.

"I care very, _very_ deeply about you." He finally said. Coming from him, that was probably the closest I was going to get to an "I love you" and for him, just saying that he cared about me was a type of surrender.

"I know," I said quietly. He rolled off of me, and we lay there, side by side, not talking, just being happy to be beside each other. I curled up beside him, using his chest as a pillow, and closed my eyes.

"I was serious about going to the dance with you, you know." He yawned out. I wrinkled my nose.

"Do you really want to go to a high school dance, Adrian?"

"And miss out on the chance of seeing you in a dress?"

"That's going to be the only time you'll ever see me in one."

And with that I feel asleep, with his hands around me and my head tucked underneath his chin.

I never thought that I would willingly be in that position.

Talk about irony.


	14. Chapter 14

Marie P.O.V

_Knock, knock, knock._

I groaned and rolled over. Please, please, please go away, so I can continue sleeping.

_Knock, knock, knock._

I rubbed my eyes with one hand and poked Adrian in the side with the other. He groaned. "What?"

"You've slept long enough, and someone's at the door."

"No such thing as too much sleep," he yawned.

_KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!_

"All right!" I yelled. "Don't give yourself a heart attack!"  
I pushed my uncooperative curls back into what I hoped was a less cow-licked style and opened the door, perhaps a little bit too hard because it flung back and left a dent in the wall.

_I wonder if I'm going to have to pay for that?_ I mused as the very impatient knocker tapped her toe in the hallway.

Rose stood in the doorway, hand on her hip, with Lissa and Eddie behind her. "The Queen wants to see us. Now." She said, irritated for whatever reason. It didn't take a lot to piss her off.

"Okay," I said as I turned to Adrian, who had a pillow on top of his head. I pulled off the pillow.

"_What_?" He whined, reaching for the pillow again.

"Adrian, you're acting like your five years old. Get out of bed now-and you drooled all over your shirt."

That got him out of bed. "I do not drool."

"Maybe not, but you snore."

"Yes you do. It's cute. Now let's go."

Adrian P.O.V.

The hallways at the Grand Court were, typically, old fashioned. So old fashioned that they bordered on being tacky. It's not like I could say that out loud, sadly.

I held Marie's hand as we sat down in the large "throne room". She was so nervous that her aura was starting to affect me the way a really strong aura would. I rubbed small circles into the back of her hand soothingly. Tatiana's eyes never left our intertwined hands.  
Uh-oh.

My great-aunt wrinkled her nose. She really could be a kind person…when she felt like it. Apparently today wasn't one of those days.

"I said bring the moroi only-Princess Vasilisa and Adrian. Not their…friends."

All of the dhampirs in the room-except for her guardians-stiffened in offense. Okay, so it was no secret that moroi were more favored in the vampire world, but did Tatiana have to make it so obvious?

Rose turned to leave almost immediately, her long dark hair sashaying behind her as she walked away. I looked at Eddie. Were we supposed to leave as well? He shrugged and we both turned to follow Rose.

"Oh stay, if you must," Tatiana conceded with a wave of her hand. "This may be important for you to hear as well; after all it does concern the future of Vasilisa as well as my nephew's."

"My future's pretty much set in stone," I said happily. "Smoking, drinking, and dying at an early age of lung cancer. Of course, Lissa could probably just heal me before I die, which means I'll have more time to smoke and drink." Yup…sounded like my kind of life.

"Adrian! If you cannot control your language I will ask you to leave. Now everybody, have a seat."

I sat down immediately, even though everybody else did the respectful thing and waited for the queen to be seated before they were. Fuck respectful. I was Adrian Ivashkov _and _the queen's favourite nephew. I could be as respectful as I wanted to be.

"Now, Vasilisa, after you graduate from St. Vladimir's, what do you intend to do with your education?"

"Well I-," Lissa started in her soft angelic voice.

"I believe you wished to go to college, did you not?" Tatiana cut in.

"Yes but I…I wasn't planning on going to a moroi school. I want to go to a human one." Lissa nervously tucked a stray piece of blond hair behind her ear.

Well, she wanted to go to a human school. Nothing wrong with that, humans threw the best parties, and made pretty damn awesome play-things.

Well, my aunt on the other hand, she didn't exactly seem to like that. "Absolutely not!" She exclaimed in a voice full of authority. "I will not see our last living Dragomir in some outcast, trashy school like some lone dhampir!"

The silence in the room just then was thick enough to cut with a knife. Marie looked like she wanted to stab my aunt through the head. Rose stood up, probably to do just that.

"Sit down, Rose. If you kill my favourite aunt I won't give you your Christmas present." I said as I looked at my nails.

Rose ignored me and proceeded to march out of the throne room.

Tatiana seemed unfazed by what she had just said. She probably figured that, since she was the queen, she could say what she wanted about the half-human vampires who gave up their lives trying to protect the moroi.

"We'll talk about this later," Tatiana promised Lissa. Lissa didn't seem too thrilled about this 'talk'. "And you, Adrian. How long do you plan on wasting your time at St. Vladimir's? Are you going to enroll their again as a student, or will you finally grow up and finish your school year at that art school you're currently attending?"

A distraction right about then would have been helpful. Something big and devastating, that would render my aunt unable to speak for a very, very long time.

I got my wish. Dinner.

Marie P.O.V.

Food. Everywhere, and not just normal human food for the dhampirs-who needed it more than the moroi-but also a few human feeders, all extraordinarily gorgeous. The type of people you see on the street and can't help but stare at. Adrian let his gaze settle on a pretty redhead with brown eyes and boobs big enough to touch the other side of the room.

Well maybe not that big, but still big enough to make me jealous.

I expected Adrian to get up and bury his face in her neck, but he didn't move. Just stayed in his seat beside me and fidgeted. I could feel the thirst burning through the bond, strong enough to make _me_ want to bury my face in her neck. After all, being thirsty was something that I was familiar with-too familiar with.

"Adrian, really this isn't going to work out if you're shy to bite someone in front of me." I said when I realized that the source of his discomfort was me, sitting there beside him.

"I'm sorry, but the word shy doesn't exist in my vocabulary."

Then, to prove his point, he got up and buried his face in Ms. Big Booby's neck. I severed the bond for that instant-I really didn't want to feel blood going down his throat when I was about to eat. I would lose my appetite.


	15. Chapter 15

Marie P.O.V.

The remainder of the dinner was boring and uneventful. In fact, the rest of the night was boring and uneventful. After we ate we returned to our rooms, which, to me sucked because I really wanted to explore the Court, and I probably would have if the bond hadn't signalled me to how tired Adrian was. Of course, he didn't want to admit too it, but I decided to do him a favour and suggested that we go back to the room.

He suddenly wasn't that tired anymore when I led him into my room and he saw the large bed. God, he was such a guy.

Adrian drew me close and rained kisses all over my neck. "How about we warm up the bed, hm?"

I rolled my eyes even though his kisses were making me seriously unstable. "Do you only think about sex?"

"Not just sex, but sex with you in particular."

I pushed away from him and took a few steps back. He followed me, his green eyes playful. I jabbed his chest with my finger.

"I'm not having sex with you tonight so stop looking at me like that—and for goodness sake's, keep your perverted thoughts to yourself."

Adrian laughed and plopped down on the bed. "Never told you to look at them. Now do something domestic and remove my shoes."

"I wouldn't remove your shoes if you shoved bamboo splinters underneath my fingernails."

Adrian mock-flinched. "Are my feet really _that_ smelly?"

I nodded and sat down beside him. "Yes, Adrian. They are that smelly. And sweaty too, if I may add."

"How dare you speak to a royal Moroi like that! You ought to be punished."

Adrian pushed me down and hovered above me. I snorted. "You going to punish me, Lord Ivashkov?"

"Of course."

Adrian leaned down and put his mouth next to my ear. "I'm thinking...handcuffs and a whip or two. How does that sound to you?"

"Like very kinky punishment."

Adrian laughed deep in his throat and kissed the hollow of my throat. Lust flooded through my brain and made coherent thought impossible. Then he rolled off me, got up, and headed into the bathroom. I almost called him back to the bed. How could he just turn me on and leave like that?

"Adrian," I said lazily, patting the empty space on the bed beside me. "Get back here."

Adrian looked at me, considering, then shrugged. "Nah. I'm tired."

Then he walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. I frowned and stood up.

I slipped my clothes off and pulled on a tank top and cotton shorts. I crawled into bed and patiently waited for Adrian to exit the bathroom. When he did I grinned at him for so long that he started to look nervous.

"Are you coming to bed?" I asked, theatrically yawning and stretching my arms out.

He'd already changed into his boxers and a t-shirt and when he plopped down beside me I trailed a finger down his chest.

"Do you usually sleep with a shirt on?" I asked, pitching my voice lower.

"Not usually, but I thought that you would sleep better if you didn't have my rock hard abs there to distract you."

I almost snorted, but restrained myself. "Take it off."

Adrian raised his eyebrow and wondered what I had in mind while he removed his shirt. While his abs weren't what I would classify as "rock-hard" they were still damn sexy.

I reached over to the bedside table and turned off the lamp. Adrian yawned. I turned back around to face him and gently ran my fingers up and down his arm. "Kiss me goodnight."

"Someone's getting bossy," he said, leaning over and pressing his lips against mine. I returned the kiss eagerly and shifted over until my body was as close to his as I could get it. I could feel him start to get excited, and that was when I pulled away.

"Goodnight, Adrian," I murmured, turning around. He was silent for a minute, then he sighed and kissed the back of my neck. I held back a shiver.

"G'night."

I didn't get much sleep that night. It really isn't easy to relax when someone as hot as Adrian Ivashkov is spooning you and has conveniently placed his hand on your hip.

At least I would get some shopping down tomorrow with Rose and Lissa. I was in desperate need of more shoes.


	16. Chapter 16

Marie P.O.V

I hummed tunelessly to myself and searched through a rack of clothing with Lissa at my right and Rose at my left. Alberta and two other guardians were doing the whole seeing-without-looking thing, and Adrian and Eddie had ditched us because they were experiencing estrogen overload.

"So what did her majesty want you for?" I asked, pulling out a short black dress and, after a moment's thought, put it back.

I could almost hear Lissa rolling her eyes. "She tried to persuade me to go to a Moroi college. Then she suggested that I skip college altogether and live at Court."

Rose snorted. I grimaced. "Please tell me you said no."

Lissa laughed and pulled out a long, strapless, blood-red gown. "Of course I said no...Rose, this dress would look awesome on you."

Rose narrowed her dark eyes and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "It's so long...It'll make me look ten years older."

"It'll make you look classy," Lissa corrected. "Marie likes it as well, so I think you should try it on."

"I do?" I asked. Lissa glared at me. "I mean...I do! Totally. Try it on."

Rose sighed. "Fine, but only because you peer-pressed me into doing it. And if it's too expensive I'm not getting it."

I thought about the shiny black credit card in my wallet. My mom had told me that I was to only use it in case of an emergency...didn't buying a new dress for a Christmas dance count as an emergency?

Rose stalked off to the change rooms as I pulled out what had to be the most beautiful gray dress that I had ever seen.

It actually wasn't gray, it was silver and it looked like it would fit me like a glove. It was strapless and had a dangerously low neckline. I had to try it on.

I rushed off to the change rooms and quickly disrobed. The dress looked so damn pretty.

I slipped it on, surprised at how snug it was. The material—I think it was silk, or maybe satin—didn't really stretch that much either. I would have to forget how to breathe if I wanted to wear this.

I walked out of the change room and looked at myself in the large, mirror out there. The dress looked so awesome on me that I instantly forgot about the whole needing to breathe issue. I. Had. To. Have. The. Dress. It clung to me like a second skin, showcased my world-famous curved, made my boobs and butt look awesome, and made my eyes appear more silver-ish that normal.

"Wow. _My_ dress doesn't look like that on me."

Rose walked out of the stall wearing the red dress. It looked amazing on her, but I was vain enough to think that my dress looked better on me than hers did on her. Jeez, I'm evil.

"You look great! I love your dress."

And, I really did. It flared out slightly at the hips, enhancing her already prominent figure and gently flowed to the ground. She looked stunning.

Something tingled through the bond. Adrian must have walked into the store. I guess he and Eddie had gotten bored of wandering around the mall like two lost boys.

"My, my. If you two wear those in public I'll have to fight off a hoard of over-excited boys."

I spun around, and blushed fiercely. "Adrian! This is the women's change room! How'd you even get in here?"

Adrian lazily walked over to me and wrapped a curling tendril of my hair around his pinkie. "I used my charm. It comes naturally."

"If by charm you mean compulsion, then yes, it does come naturally to you," Rose said, walking back into the stall to change out of the dress. I wondered if she was going to get it. I hoped she did. It really did look great on her.

Adrian shook his head, mock sadness on his face. "I can't believe she thinks that I would use compulsion to get my way!"

"Neither can I,' I said dryly. I noticed for the first time that he was holding a pink, frilly bag in his hand. Something pink and lacy was dangling over the edge. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.

"What's that?" I demanded. He grinned devilishly and shook his head.

"It's a surprise."

I tried to drag the answer out of his mind but he blocked the bond and prevented me from seeing my "surprise".

"You bought me lingerie, didn't you?"

Adrian laughed. "You know me so well. Yes, I did and I know how anxious you must be to try it on for me but it'll have to wait until tonight."

I stopped myself from blushing again. "I'm not trying lingerie on for you."

"Yes you are. Now go get changed. Eddie keeps complaining about how hungry he is. I think he might start chewing on his own arm."

I exhaled loudly and decided that arguing about the lingerie would get me nowhere, so I got changed and was fully prepared to buy the dress. Then I saw the price tag and nearly started crying. It was way too expensive for me. If I bought it my mom would fly in from Romania, cut up the credit card, and fly back.

I sighed, left the change room, and put the dress back on the rack. That just ruined my day.

"Not getting it?" Adrian asked, wrapping his arm around my waist. I poked his ribcage.

"We can't all have access to millions of dollars, Adrian."

He pursued his lips. "I liked it."

I almost sighed again. "So did I. Now let's go eat. You were right about Eddie looking like he was going to start chewing on his arm."

Adrian patted my butt and cleverly dodged my fist when I tried to punch him. Then he gave me a gently shove towards Eddie, Rose, and Lissa, who were a few feet ahead of us.

"I left my wallet in the store. Go on ahead while I get it back."

I narrowed my eyes at him, still annoyed by his public display of inappropriate affection and caught up to the rest of the group.

Eddie looked down at me and grunted. I think it was his way of saying hello. I nudged him in the side. "What's got you so grump, Castile?"

"He's hungry," Rose said, grinning. "He gets grumpy when he's hungry."

"No I don't!"

"I have to agree with Rose, Eddie," Lissa said, smiling.

"I'm not grumpy," Eddie objected. "I'm bored! We've been here for four hours, and the only company I've had is Adrian. He's been driving me insane!"

I nodded. "He has that effect on people."

"Some people find me endearing," Adrian said, walking up to us. I smiled. I'd known that he was there.

He was carrying another bag in his hand, but this one was plain black so I had no idea what store it was from. Maybe he'd bought himself a top or something.

He wrapped his arm around my waist and stuck it into my back pocket. I let it stay there because snapping at him would achieve nothing.

"What's in the bag?" I asked. "More lingerie?"

"Nah, I got those whips and handcuffs that we were talking about last night."

He said that way too loudly. Loudly enough that Rose stopped whatever it was that she had been saying to Lissa and looked over at me, amusement flashing in her eyes. I flushed and opened my mouth, prepared to offer up some sort of explanation. Adrian spoke before I could.

"Oh yeah, you may not notice it, but Marie's got this totally kinky side to her. It's actually quite frightening."

"Adrian!"

He shrugged. "I'm just telling it like it is."

I stomped on his foot, hard, and pulled his hand out of my pocket. "Get off."

Adrian grinned. _You're so cute when you get mad_.

It was a mental message sent through the bond. It did nothing to lessen my annoyance.

Stupid royal Moroi.

We got back from the mall and huddled together in the outrageously large library at court.

"Let's go skating," Lissa suggested. "There's a pretty big ice rink in the back, and it's barely ever used since most Moroi hate the cold."

Adrian frowned. "I refuse to get on ice and flail around like an idiot."

Eddie snickered. I patted his arm. "Adrian, you don't need ice to look like an idiot."

He shushed me. "Your commentary isn't appreciated, little Miss. Handcuffs."

I ground my teeth together. "I swear to God, if you call me that one more time I'm going to—,"

"Tie me to the bed?"

"Adrian!"

"Shut up, you two," Rose said, looking bored. "We could always get mani's and pedi's. There's a spa downstairs."

Adrian looked like he wouldn't mind getting a manicure. I looked at his hands, which were always soft and had perfectly shaped nails and snorted. He probably got routine manicures.

Eddie, however, did not agree with that idea either. "I refuse to have someone file my nails."

I groaned. "At this rate we're never going to find something to do. We may as well go to bed."

"I have an idea," Adrian said lazily. "Let's go out."

"Where to?" Lissa asked.

"Club. Obviously. You know where it is, Lissa. I remember something about you and Aaron, along with a few very alcoholic drink..."

Lissa blushed and swatted at Adrian's arm. I made a mental note to ask her who Aaron was and what she had done with him.

Rose thought that it was a great idea. Lissa shrugged and went along with it because it made Rose happy. Eddie said that he didn't want to go, but gave in after I nagged him for a bit, and me, well, I wouldn't mind dancing for a while. It'd been a while since I'd done something reckless.

Of course Adrian was game, after all, it was his idea. We agreed to meet by the entrance to the club and went off to our rooms to get ready. I'd forgotten that Adrian had insisted on sharing a room, so when he followed me I told him to go away.

"Why are you so grumpy?" He asked, lighting a cigarette.

"Because I'm cute when I'm angry."

"Yes, you are. When you're glaring at me all I can think about is how I wish we could go make out somewhere."

"You're such a guy."

"Why, thank you."

I rolled my eyes and walking into my—our—room. Adrian set the two bags on the bed. "Would you like to see one of your surprises?"

"One of them? As in there are more than one?"

"Of course, silly. But the lingerie is mostly for me. Anyways, I was hoping that you would wear this tonight..."

I looked at him suspiciously. "You aren't one of those guys who expect me to wear what they pick out every day, are you?"

Adrian ignored me and tossed something black at me. I held it up. It looked like it would barely fit over my leg, let alone my body.

"Adrian. This won't fit me."

"It's stretchy. Just try it on."

He gave me his puppy dog eyes, which, even though he was 21—or was it 22—were still pretty cute. I threw my hands up in the air and marched into the bathroom.

Once I had the dress on I had to admit that he was right. It _was_ really stretchy. And slutty. It was strapless, made of some super-thin material, and barely covered my butt.

"Adrian, I look like a hooker."

"Hooker's are hot," he called back from the bedroom.

"Can't I be hot without looking like a hooker?"

"You could be hot in sweatpants and a baggy t-shirt. But since you love me so much you should wear that wonderful dress."

"I don't love you."

I'd meant it playfully, but all I got was silence. Had I actually managed to hurt his feelings?

The bond confirmed that yes, I had hurt his feelings. Now I felt like crap. Great.

I walked out of the bathroom, still wearing that "dress" and found him looking out the window, a new cigarette in his mouth. I approached him and wrapped my arms around his waist.

"I love it. Thank you," I said, going up on my tippy-toes to kiss his neck. He smirked down at me and blew a bit of smoke into my face. I restrained myself from throwing his cigarette out the window by mentally debating which shoes to wear.

Ten minutes later, once Adrian had changed and successfully re-styled his hair—it was a bit sad that he took longer to do his hair than I did—and I had decided on a pair of electric blue pumps we headed down to the club entrance. I had no clue where we were going, but Adrian did. He probably knew where every source of alcohol was in this place.

We met the rest of the gang outside the club and I had to admit that Eddie looked pretty cute in his jeans a blue button-up shirt that he'd artfully rolled up at the sleeves.

I noticed him looking at Rose a lot, and while that might have been because her top showed a hell of a lot of cleavage my intuition told me that it was something more...besides, Eddie's aura turned pink whenever he talked to Rose. Or at least that's what Adrian told me.

They would totally make a cute couple.

We entered the club and were instantly assaulted by too-loud music and even louder people. Adrian grinned.

"I'm home," he said loudly. I rolled my eyes and he disappeared through the crowd, probably in search of booze.

I turned to Lissa, who looked exceptionally pretty in a purple dress that stopped a few inches above her knee.

"Would you ever actually live here?" I asked, not meaning the club, but the Court itself. Lissa wrinkled her nose delicately.

"No...at least, not until I'm old and gray. It gets boring here after a while."

"Tell me about it. I still don't get why Tatiana invited me out here. She doesn't even know who I am."

Lissa smiled softly. "I asked her to invite you. And Eddie. Ever since Mason died Eddie's been so...serious. I was hoping that you might help him loosen up but Adrian interfered with my plan."

I almost pointed out that she should be trying to hook Rose and Eddie up, not Eddie and me, but decided not to.

"Who's Mason?"

Lissa's jade-green eyes flickered over to Eddie, as if she were making sure that he wasn't paying attention to us.

"He was Mason's best friend. He was killed by Strigoi a while back. I don't think Eddie's ever fully gotten over it."

"That's horrible."

My heart went out to Eddie. Strigoi were horrible, inhumane creatures. Just thinking about them pissed me off.

Lissa shuddered delicately and promptly changed the subject. "Anyways, there's something I've been meaning to ask you."

"Which is?"

"You knew Jesse before you came here, right?"

"Jesse Zeklos? Yeah, I knew him. And?"

Lissa shrugged. "I was just wondering how you knew him."

"It's a long story, but to make the long story short let's just say that I lived with him."

Lissa's eyes nearly bugged out of my head. I instantly regretted telling her. When Rose found out—and she was going to find out because she knew everything Lissa knew—she was going to razz me about it for days.

"You _lived_ with Jesse? Why?"

I shifted uncomfortably on my feet. I didn't really want to be having this conversation in the middle of a club. I wanted to dance.

"My mom's a guardian for his parents. When she got knocked up with me they let me live there, but they sent me to school in Romania and Jesse here."

"That must have been..." Lissa shook her head, at a loss for words.

"It wasn't that bad," I said, rising to the Zeklos's defense. "Jesse's parents were always nice to me. They still are. When I go back for the holidays they don't treat me like some dhampir that lives with them, they treat me like...don't know. Family or whatever. And Jesse isn't that bad either, although he is annoying as hell. Anyways, let's dance."

Rose and Eddie were already dancing so I pulled Lissa further into the crowd and started dancing with her.

It was pretty fun and, after ten minutes or so Adrian came back with a bottle of vodka in one hand and five shot glasses in the other. He set them down on a table.

"Gather round, gather round," he called out to Rose and Eddie, who were engrossed in their own little world. They walked up to the table, looking interested but wary.

"How'd you get the entire bottle?" Rose asked. Adrian grinned charmingly at her.

"Persuasion, my dear friend."

"Compulsion, my dear friend," she corrected. He shrugged and started pouring us a round of shots. I nudged his side.

"You're still doing that?" I asked. He looked at me, then at the bottle of vodka in his hand.

"Drinking?"

"No. Compulsion."

Adrian grinned like a naughty five year old and continued pouring. "I prefer to think of it as natural charm rather than magic induced hypnotism."

"Adrian—,"

"Oh, lighten up, would you? Don't start acting like my mother."

I rolled my eyes and warily took the shot glass he gave me. Not that I didn't trust him, but for all I know he slipped something into the bottle because he wanted us to have a better time.

Adrian made a toast to friendship or something cheesy like that and we all downed our glasses. I winced as the vodka burned a trail down my throat. Damn, it was strong.

I set the glass down with a bang, my eyes watering.

"More?" Adrian asked. I shook my head and coughed a few times.

"Jesus, that's strong."

Adrian shook his head. "That's nothing. Just you wait and see what's coming next."

I grinned, feeling a bit goofy, and wrapped my arms around Adrian's neck. "I don't think so. I have no intention of getting completely wasted."

Adrian bent down and kissed me. Rose, Lissa, and Eddie wandered off to go socialize, or dance.

"This should be interesting since I have every intention of getting you completely drunk and wasted."

I laughed and got light headed. Was I drunk already? Over one small shot of vodka? How pathetic. "Adrian, dance with me."

"The type of dancing I want to do is too naughty for a lady like yourself."

I rolled my eyes, dropped my hands from the back of his neck and pulled him into the crowd.

I quickly noticed that he was right—he did like to dance dirty. If my mother—or brother—saw how he was holding me they'd have a heart attack and send me to a convent.

I quickly noticed a developing pattern. Adrian would dance with me for a while, wander off to get something to drink, and bring me back some sort of fruity and delicious drink that, according to him, "wasn't that strong because the sugar diluted the alcohol". I almost laughed at that but, for whatever reason, drank whatever he put in my hand.

"Adrian," I whispered, forgetting that he couldn't hear me over the loud music.

"Adrian!"

He looked down at me. "Hmm?"

"I'm going back to the room."

He looked disappointed. "So soon?"

"We've been here for over two hours! Besides, you don't have to come with me. Just don't get in too late. Remember, we're flying back to St. Vlad's tomorrow."

Adrian downed something bright, electric blue and took my hand. "I'll leave with you. There's nothing to do here anymore, anyways."

Ah, Adrian. So easily entertained, yet so easily bored at the same time.

I nodded. "Fine. Let's go."

Adrian P.O.V.

I don't have much experience with helping drunk friends walk around because usually I'm the wasted one being helped.

Marie was leaning heavily against me as I guided her to the room.

"You got me drunk," she sighed, sounding mildly annoyed. I smiled. That had been the point.

"No one forced you to drink anything."

Marie snorted and wobbled a bit on her heels. "No, you just held it in front of my face until I drank it."

"That's a bit of an exaggeration, don't you think?"

She shrugged. I opened the door to our room and gently prodded her in. She immediately stumbled over to the bed and threw herself down onto it. I kicked my shoes off and tried not to stare when she stretched out her mile-long legs.

"Adrian," she said lazily. "Come here."

I walked up to her. She sat up, grabbed fistfuls off my collar and, in one smooth movement, pulled me down onto the bed while rolling on top of me. She kissed me roughly, sloppily, and started unbuttoning my shirt.

Lust made thinking about damn near impossible, but I someone managed it.

"Wait," I mumbled against her lips.

"No."

She pushed my shirt away from my shoulders. I rolled away from her and stood up. She grinned and followed me. I grabbed her shoulders and held her away. While I was a very big fan of drunk sex I had the feeling that Marie wouldn't be too happy with me if we did it while she was wasted.

"Don't you want me?" She asked, rejection lacing her voice. I laughed roughly.

"Yes. You have no idea."

"Then what's the problem?" She asked, running a hand down my chest and stopping just below my belly button. I shivered and released her shoulders. She practically threw herself onto me and hitched her leg around my waist. I grabbed her dress and quickly pulled it over her head.

It took an incredible amount of willpower to do what I did next. I ignored the heat that was running through my body, grabbed her pyjama from where she'd left it this morning, and helped her get it on.

"Go to sleep, Marie," I murmured. She shook her head and wrapped her arms around my waist.

"Come sleep with me."

I shook my head and pulled away, bending down so that we saw eye-to-eye. I got a grasp on my magic—not easy to do when I've got a few drinks in me—and tried to compel her into going to bed. It didn't work, which made me frown. Some people were harder to compel than others but since I was a spirit user she should have given no resistance. Guess I'd drank more than I thought.

I sighed and pushed her down onto the bed. "See you in the morning."

She grabbed my wrist as I was turning to leave. She had a really strong grip. "Wait, don't go. I'll be good."

I didn't want her to be good. Damn it, I wanted to have sex with her.

I shook my head slowly. "I think we'll both get more sleep away from each other. I'll be back in the morning. Goodnight."

She pouted. It was sexy.

I quickly left before my willpower crumbled to pieces and I jumped her right then and there.

I went to the room that I was originally supposed to have and, with a groan, collapsed on my bed. Having a conscience was no fun. If I didn't have one I'd be having awesome, mind blowing sex right now. Instead, I'm laying in bed. By myself.

Someone pounded on my door. Annoyed, I got up. Who the hell could it be? Did anyone even know that I was in here?

I opened the door and saw someone whom I assumed was the cleaning lady.

"Adrian!" Rose gasped.

"How'd you know I was in here—,"

"Marie told me. Anyways, that's not important. There's been an attack."

"What type of attack?"

"Strigoi. Strigoi tried to get in to Court.


	17. Chapter 17

Marie P.O.V.

I'd never packed so quickly in my entire life. When Rose had come banging on my door barely moments after I had fallen asleep I had, in about ten minutes, thrown on some clothes and packed up my suitcase as well as Adrian's. Not having him near me drove the guardian inside me insane and I probably wouldn't have rested until he was by my side if it weren't for the bond. He was waiting in the foyer with Rose, Eddie and Lissa, along with the guardians. They were all waiting for me. Of course.

Dragging three suitcases while drunk and wearing high-heels isn't the easiest task in the world. I should've packed a pair of damn sneakers.

"Can you help me with this?" I asked the Moroi servant in the hallway as I left my room.

"Of course," he said, taking two of the three suitcases from me. I don't know how he sounded so calm—I was freaking out. Strigoi. Had. Attacked. Court. Something like that was practically unheard of. Strigoi didn't attack Court. It would be nearly impossible for them to get past the wards _and_ hundreds of guardians that surrounded this place.

When we finally reached the foyer not only was my head pounding but I felt quite nauseous and a thin layer of sweat had broken out on my forehead. I thanked the guy who had helped me carry the suitcases and nearly collapses into Adrian's arms when I saw him. He held me tightly, serious for once.

"You bastard," I groaned against his chest. "I'm not your mother and I will never pack and carry your suitcases for you again."

"Rose wouldn't let me go back to the room. I wanted to."

I made a noncommittal sound in the back of my throat and didn't resist when Adrian placed his hand against the back of my head and used his magic to take my headache away. When he was done I felt great, as if I had been sleeping for two days straight. I pulled away to look up at him—he was looking at something over my head. I turned around to follow his gaze and felt my body go rigid.

Bodies. Bodies and blood. The victims of the Strigoi attack. Where the guardians crazy? Why were they bringing the bodies through the main entrance of the court? Were they trying to freak out everyone?

I squeezed Adrian's hand as two guardians carried a Moroi by. Her face was so ruined that I could only tell it was a girl by looking at her body. My stomach twisted the way it usually did when I was around blood. I had to get out of there. It was just too much.

I stepped away from Adrian and mumbled something about going into the bathroom. I found one quickly and leaned against the counter. My phone buzzed in my pocket, which was kind of surprising since it was around five in the morning. I pulled it out and frowned at the unfamiliar number. "Hello?"

At first there was silence on the other end. Then someone started to laugh. I recognized the voice immediately and felt my blood run cold.

"How'd you find me?" I demanded quietly.

"I'll always find you, darling," he said. "I'm so close to you right now...closer than you think. If it weren't for those guardians at the gate I would have you."

"It was you?" I hissed. "You attacked the court?"

"Of course I did," he replied in an easy voice. "I told you. I won't rest until you join me. The things you could accomplish—,"

"Leave me alone!" I cried out, fighting the urge to throw my phone across the bathroom. "If you come near me—if I ever see you again—I will shove a stake through your heart. And this time I won't miss."

I pressed the end button my phone and immediately dialled my brother's number, which I had memorized. He answered on the third ring.

"Hello?" A voice with a light Russian accent answered.

"Daniel," I said. "It's me."

"Oh, so now you decide to call? I haven't heard from you in almost two months and—,"

"Daniel, this is important so shut up and listen!"

He was silent for a few seconds. "What's wrong."

I felt my eyes tear up and had to bite down on my lip to keep them from spilling over. "He's back, Danny. He came back."


	18. Chapter 18

Marie P.O.V.

My brother was flying in from Romania—the Moroi he was guarding was giving him the time off—tomorrow. I didn't really think that he'd drop everything and come running when I called but I had been wrong. At least he wasn't telling our mother. Then I'd be screwed.

Adrian wouldn't leave me the hell alone. Ever since we'd landed back at the academy he kept giving me weird looks and asking me what my problem was. It was getting on my nerves, but it also made me sad. I wanted to tell him about my dilemma—really, I did—but I couldn't. If I did he would tell the guardians and I would end up in a jail cell. Or dead. Neither option sounded fun.

Still. It would be nice to have someone to talk to. I mean, Jesse already knew about my problem but I'm pretty sure that, ever since he found out, I became less of a person to him. Besides, he was too much of a dick to actually care about what I thought.

"Adrian!" I snapped when he, for the billionth time, asked me what was wrong. "I'm fine. Stop hovering over my shoulder!"

Since we were in the cafeteria, eating—well he was eating and I was drinking coffee—my voice drew strange glances from Rose, Lissa, and Christian, the other occupants at the table. Adrian draped his arm around me and laughed it off even though he was a bit annoyed that I'd yelled at him. "She's PMSing—don't mind her."

"No I'm not," I snapped. "You're just being annoying."

He narrowed his eyes the tiniest bit at me and removed his arm. "Be nice to me or you aren't getting your present."

"I don't want any lingerie, Adrian."

"Actually, I was thinking something along the lines of—,"

"No god damn handcuffs or whips either!" I protested, seeing where he was going with this. Christian burst out into laughter and my cheeks flared up.

"Quit laughing at me," I growled. Christian continued to snicker.

"Whips and handcuffs, huh?" He asked, grabbing Lissa's hand. "Maybe I _should_ have gone on that trip. Seems like I missed out on a lot."

I thought about the dead bodies and swallowed uneasily. "Trust me," I said quietly, knowing that his sensitive ears would hear me. "You _really_ didn't."

The table grew silent, no doubt thinking about the same thing as I. I cleared my throat and smiled, attempting to lighten the mood. "I mean, we've all seen Adrian get drunk before, so nothing new or special happened. Trust me, it was boring."

"Hey!" Adrian exclaimed playfully. "I didn't get drunk...well I didn't get drunker than I normally am. In fact, you," he said, turning to me. "Were wasted. _Wasted_. Not very good guardian behaviour, if you ask me."

Christian pursed his lips at me. Rose, who had been busy reading—never though _that_ would happen—lifted her head. "You got drunk? For some reason I find that hard to believe."

"Well believe it," Adrian said. "Then she tried to take advantage of me. I was scared, Rose. Terrified. I barely escaped with my life. Or my clothes."

I shot up from the table and had to physically restrain myself from pouring my coffee on his head. "If you keep talking about our non-existent sex life I will severely main you."

"She sounds serious, Ivashkov," Christian said, raising a dark eyebrow.

Adrian grabbed my hand. "Nah, she wouldn't hurt me. I'm too...what's the word I'm looking for?"

"Annoying?" I said helpfully. Adrian shook his head and stroked his chin, as if he were deep in thought. "No, I was thinking more of words like "awesome" and "handsome" or "stunningly sexy"."

"Stunningly sexy is two words," Lissa pointed out. Adrian trained his eyes on her.

"Technicalities, cousin."

I smiled a bit, simply because it was impossible to stay mad at Adrian. It was, however, surprisingly easy to _get_ mad at him. I bent down to give him a kiss. "I really do have to go. My brother's coming to visit and I need to make some arrangements."

"Thought you didn't like your brother?" Adrian asked. I sighed.

"Sometimes I don't, sometimes I do. But I love him. Actually," I said. "He reminds me a bit of you. I think I've told you that before—anyways, catch you later. Bye, guys."

I waved at the rest of the group and turned to go, after giving Adrian one last kiss. Before I could take one step away from the table I bumped into Levon's chest and nearly died.

Oh. My. God. I had forgotten _completely_ about Levon. Here I was, kissing Adrian in front of everyone like it didn't matter when I'd been kind of—but not really—dating Levon before. I mean, we weren't serious since all we'd done was make out but we made plans to go to the dance together and...shit. I'd promised Adrian that I'd go to the dance with him. I was a horrible person—I could have, at the very least, gotten a grip on my hormones and saved making out with Adrian for when we got back, that way, I could've told Levon that we were no longer a thing. I'm a horrible person.

"Levon," I squeaked. There wasn't enough air for me, Levon, and Adrian in the cafeteria. I needed to get out of there. ASAP. "Hi. How are you?"

He looked very pointedly at me, then at Adrian. "Care to explain?"

I racked my brain for a suitable excuse but, when none came, decided to tell the truth. "I'm sorry," I blurted out. "I'm such a horrible person. I should have waited to tell you that—,"

"Tell me what? That you're a stupid slut?"

I felt myself go rigid, heard the students within earshot go silent and wondered if I would get in trouble for beating the shit out of him. "That was uncalled for," I said, my voice low and dangerous. Levon's eyes flashed dangerously.

"But it's true," he growled. "You're probably his blood whore too."

He. Did. Not. Just. Say. That. To. Me. Before I could pummel him Adrian stood up and got in Levon's face. Anger flowed through the bond, hot and thick. Adrian was a good head taller than Levon but Levon was a) bulkier and b) trained in the fine arts of kicking ass. Not that I didn't appreciate Adrian sticking up for me but I didn't really want to see him strewn across the floor. His ego would be irreparable after that.

"What did you just say to her?" Adrian demanded so quietly that I barely heard him. I realized then that while Adrian wouldn't match Levon in a fight physically, he would surpass him in a mental one. Adrian could make Levon sing jingle bells while standing on his hands if he wanted him to.

"You heard me," Levon said. I could already see him sizing Adrian up and hoped to God that he wouldn't throw a punch. "That bitch, right there," he said slowly, pointing to me. "Is nothing but a slut. Have fun with her. She's probably screwing some guy on the side anyways."

Rose got to her feet as well, her dark eyes flashing. "Hey! Watch what you're saying, you asshole."

Levon trained his eyes on her. "What, jealous that your ex-boyfriend found a new blood whore?"

Before Rose could kill him, before Adrian could use compulsion and make him think that he was burning from the inside, before _anyone_ could do anything I leapt out and socked him right on the nose. I felt the bone give way the moment my fist connected with his face. Blood spurted out of his nose, warm and wet, and splattered across my chest. I stopped moving, stopped thinking, stopped breathing. Gingerly, I raised my hand to my face and brought my fingers back bloodied. My hands started to shake. I needed to get out of there.

Unfortunately, as I was turning to run away Levon chose that moment to retaliate. Let me say one thing—I'm not going to freak out because he, a male, hit me, a female but god damn it now I needed to fight some more to escape. Which meant more blood. I couldn't handle more blood.

Levon tackled me and we flew back into the table. I delivered a few sharp jabs to his ribcage and, when that didn't get him off, bit his hand. Not hard enough to draw blood—I wasn't that stupid.

Naturally, when Adrian, Rose, Lissa, and Christian couldn't succeed in pulling us apart the guardians intervened—but I didn't stick around long enough for them to yell at us. As soon as that jerk was away from me I leapt to my feet and ran. Thankfully, the girls bathroom on the far side of the academy was empty so no one was there to see me fall to pieces. I blasted on the sink and started rubbing my arms with a roughness that hurt. I was still shaking and his blood, oh god, it was _everywhere_.

I looked up into the mirror and admitted to myself that no amount of washing would get all of the blood off me. I burst into tears and sank to the floor in defeat. I barely even noticed it when someone walked in. Surprised didn't even begin to describe how Adrian felt when he walked in—surprise that I only knew about because of the bond.

"Get out," I said, hiding my face behind a veil of hair. "This is the girl's bathroom."

"What's wrong?" He demanded, kneeling beside me. "Are you hurt? Did he hurt you?"

Slowly, I shook my head and tried to blink away the tears. Adrian grabbed my chin and yanked my face up. His eyes—God, they were gorgeous—were mere inches away from mine. "Tell me what's wrong."

"I can't," I choked out, my voice heavy. "I want to, _so_ badly. But I can't."

Adrian sighed. "Marie," he whispered. "You know that you can tell me anything, right? You can trust me."

I shook my head. "Not this. This is different. You'll hate me if I tell you."

He moved back and sat down beside me. "Try me."

I took a deep breath and relaxed a bit when he pulled me against his side. It was there, on the floor in the smelly girl's bathroom, that I told my biggest and most dangerous secret to a royal moroi.

"Before I tell you, Adrian, promise me that you won't tell anyone. You can't. I'll leave the academy if it makes you feel better but you can't tell. Please?"

Adrian frowned. "Why on earth would I want you to leave?"

I shrugged. "You probably won't like me very much once you hear what I have to say."

Annoyance flowed through the bond. Adrian grabbed my head and planted a quick, fiery kiss onto my lips. When he pulled back his cheeks were read and his lips were swollen. "God damn it, Marie. Tell me."

So I told him.

"I'm not a dhampir."


	19. Chapter 19

Adrian P.O.V

I was silent for a moment. Then I laughed. I just couldn't help it. "You must still be drunk from the other night, or something."

Marie looked up at me, her eyes flashing indignantly. "Screw you, Adrian."

She shot to her feet, her knees the tiniest bit wobbly, and started to go. I grabbed her hand and pulled her back down beside me. She was either a)insane, like me or b) drunk...like me so I decided to humour her since she spends most of her time humouring me. "Okay. So _what_ are you then? Alien? Robot?"

She shot me a very not nice look and ripped her hand out of mine. I smiled and pretended to zip my lips shut. She took a deep breath and started talking.

"Dhampirs are a mix of Moroi and human, right? Half-and-half."

"I know."

She inhaled again. "My mother was—is—a dhampir but my father turned Strigoi."

I frowned. It wasn't that big of a deal. "So did Christian's parents. I don't see why you're freaking out about this."

"Christian's parents turned Strigoi _after_ they had him," she said quietly. "My dad didn't."

I was rendered speechless. What the hell was she talking about? Surely what I thought she was saying wasn't actually what she was saying. Strigoi couldn't have children. This made no sense. Since I wasn't talking Marie continued speaking in a rush, as if she were afraid that I would interrupt her.

"My mother had been sleeping with this Strigoi. I don't know _why_ or why he didn`t kill her. All I know is that he stuck around long enough for my mom to have me and my brother, and then he took off. I, technically, should be impossible but here I am. I moved around a lot when I was younger because my brother and I were still too young to control our...urges. Eventually, my mother just homeschooled us until we were twelve and she deemed us old enough to go to school. She sent me and my brother to school in Romania. My brother was two years older than me and after he lost control we were sent to Russia. Then back to Romania, but a different part. My brother graduated and became a guardian, and I was sent here."

I still didn't know what to say. How did one respond to finding out that his girlfriend was some sort of...unnatural abomination? And what the fuck did she mean by "urges"? Should I be worried about her chomping down on my neck in my sleep?

Marie stiffened at my side—damn her being able to hear my thoughts—and got up again. "I wouldn't "chomp" down on your neck if you paid me to. I knew I shouldn't have told you—apparently being able to tell you _everything_ only applies to some things. Fuck you, Adrian. Tell the guardians if you want to—but I'm getting the hell out of this academy before you do."

She spun around and ran off. I remained there, on the bathroom floor, unable to move, think, or do something functional with myself. Marie was part Strigoi. Marie was part Strigoi. Marie was part fucking Strigoi.

I needed a god damn drink.

Marie P.O.V.

I ran back to my room and, instead of packing and leaving like I should have, I threw myself down onto the bed and cried until my eyes ran out of tears. I figured that the bond would tell me when Adrian was about to alert the guardians about me, which would leave me with enough time to grab a few necessities and hit the road.

But I didn't want to leave. I liked it here. Liked it better than I did at my old school. And, although I was fluent in most European languages I damn well loved speaking English here. There was no way in hell that I was going to go back to another foreign school. Screw that. You know what? Going back to an academy after this would be a waste of my time. I was almost eighteen. I could just take the stupid guardian exam, pass—because I totally would pass-and spend the rest of my pathetic existence guarding some stuck up royal Moroi. God forbid it be Jesse.

I cried a bit louder and buried myself underneath my blanket. I'd been so stupid to tell Adrian. Of course he would find me disgusting and abnormal. He was a stuck up royal Moroi as well, and they were all the same.

Someone knocked on my door.

"Go away," I nearly screamed, my voice muffled by my pillow.

"Marie?" Rose asked. "Are you okay?"

Yes, I'm perfectly fine. That's why I'm sobbing my eyes out in my room. "I'm great. Now go away."

"Can I come in?"

"No, Rose! Just leave me alone."

"Did Adrian do something?"

"No." Not yet, anyways. I wonder what would happen if I'd told Rose. Odds were she'd probably stake me on the spot.

"Oh. Where is he?"

"I don't give a damn!" I snapped. Rose was silent for so long that I thought she'd left.

"Okay, now I _know_ that he did something. Do you want to talk about it or should I just go find him and beat him up?"

"If I wanted to talk about it I wouldn't have told you to go away ten million times? Besides, there is nothing to tell. Adrian has done nothing to upset me. Piss off."

Rose decided not to argue with me and left. The moment I could no longer hear her footsteps I returned to my mindless sobbing. Thankfully, in the dark and solitude of my room it was easy to fall asleep, despite the ear-splitting headache that was a product of the tears. Unthankfully, when I was asleep I often got pulled into Adrian's mind if he was awake. Tonight was no exception.

Adrian was sitting in his room, nursing a bottle of straight-up vodka. God damn it, if I woke up hungover because of his drinking I would kill him.

Adrian was feeling sorry for himself. That infuriated me. I should be the one feeling like utter crap. Not him. Who the hell did he think he was?

"Unbelievable," he muttered, taking another sip from the bottle. "Un-fucking-believable. Why can't I just find myself a normal girlfriend? Or better yet, no damn girlfriend at all."

He sighed and took another sip. And another. As he got completely wasted the bond thinned until I couldn't see him anymore and I was left alone to a dreamless sleep.

Adrian P.O.V

I woke up the next day with the biggest damn headache in the history of man-kind and was considering chopping off my own head with a blunt razor when a very angry knock sounded on my door. I got up, nearly toppled over, and stumbled over to the door. I opened it and nearly closed it again when a very pissed off Rose gave me a death-glare. This would not be a pleasant conversation.

"Yes?" I asked.

"What the hell did you do to Marie? She hasn't been to any of her classes all day, isn't going to the Christmas dance, and is packing her stuff up because—,"

"For the love of God, keep it down!" I exclaimed, rubbing my aching temples. "What do you mean, she hasn't been to any of her classes? It's morning! Classes haven't even started yet."

"Adrian," Rose exclaimed loudly. "It's nearly dinnertime—all of the classes are done!"

Was she serious? Had I really slept for that long? One glance out the window, at the fast approaching sun—we follow a nocturnal schedule—told me that yes, I had slept all day. How the hell did I still feel tired?

"Okay, so I overslept a bit. What's the issue here?"

Rose looked like she wanted to hit me. "Did you not hear what I just said?"

I shook my head, still groggy and disorientated as ever. "No. Something about Christmas...and packing?"

Rose grabbed my face and pulled me down until we saw eye to eye. The movement made my head spin. "Listen to me very carefully," she said slowly. "Your girlfriend is _leaving_ the academy. Now, I don't know what you did, but fix it."

She let go of my face and started to walk away. "Fix it, Adrian, or I will beat your ass into a pulp."

I wouldn't be able to turn on the sink with my mind like this, let alone "fix" things. Why were we even arguing? I honestly didn't even remember.

I closed my door and flopped back down onto the bed. Marie wasn't actually packing—I'd sleep for a few hours, then go see her. Hopefully, by then, I would remember why the hell we were fighting. I think it had something to do with...damn I didn't even know.

I groaned and placed a pillow over my head. Sleep came quickly and effortlessly, and when I woke up I felt a million times better. Only problem was that it was around midnight and everyone was asleep. But I wanted to see Marie.

I remembered why she was pissed at me. I remembered what she had told me and I even remembered my initial bought of disgust but, honestly, who the hell was I to talk? It's not like I was human either. And Marie, well, she wasn't evil—that much was obvious. And she was packing? What the hell? She couldn't just leave me like that—she wasn't _allowed_ to leave me like that.

I got out of bed and pulled on the first things that I touched. I had to use compulsion to be allowed into the girls dorm this late and although Marie wouldn't approve of me using it...well...too bad for her.

When I got to her door I knocked on it, quietly, so that the other people in the dorm wouldn't hear me. She didn't answer the door—but I knew that she was awake. I could hear her moving around. So I knocked louder. She knew it was me. She'd probably known that I was coming the moment I decided to.

But she still didn't open the damn door. So I banged on it harder and, eventually, she opened it but not until the girl in the room next to hers yelled for me to "shut the hell up and go to bed".

"What do you want, Adrian?" She asked politely. Her eyes were red and puffy because she'd been crying and that made me feel like shit.

"Can I come in?"

She shook her head. "It's late. I'm tired."

I reached out towards her. She took a step back, away from my hand which left just enough space for me to slide into her room.

"What the hell is all of this?" I demanded, looking around her room. All of her stuff—not all, but most of it—was packed away into bags and suitcases. Was she seriously leaving?

"My stuff," she said, as if that weren't already freaking obvious. And then, just to piss me off even further, she opened a drawer on her dresser and started folding up her shirts.

"You can't just leave."

"I've done it before," she said, neatly placing the shirts in a suitcase. "It's not that hard to find another school—there's more around than you think."

Angrily, I marched towards her, grabbed the shirt that she was folding and threw it over my shoulder. "You aren't leaving me," I snarled. Her eyes flashed hotly and she smacked my chest.

"Don't try and tell me what to do, you stupid moroi," she said, jabbing her finger into my chest. "Because this is your fault. You said I could trust you—,"

"You can."

"You lied to me—,"

"I was surprised, alright?" I shouted into her face. "You should cut me some slack here—you can't just drop a bomb on me and then expect me to act like everything's normal!"

"That's why I'm leaving," she exclaimed. "So that everything can just go back to normal—,"

I grabbed her shoulders and shook her. She snarled at me, slapped me across the face and stomped on my foot. I didn't let go of her, even though I could feel bruises forming on my skin.

"I hate you," she snarled. "I hate you _so _much that—,"

I crushed my lips down onto hers, effectively shutting her up. She broke away almost immediately and backed off, but I just followed her and grabbed her again. In her haste to get away from me she didn't pay attention to her footing, tripped over a suitcase and went flying backwards onto the bed. I shamelessly landed on top of her, took her face into my hands and kissed her so roughly that my lips actually hurt. She struggled against me at first but, eventually, gave up and returned the kiss with a fervour that left my head reeling. I pulled away and started raining kisses down onto her neck.

"You can't leave me," I whispered in between kisses. "You're stuck with me, whether you like it or not. We belong together now."

I looked up at her, at her strikingly bright eyes and flushed cheeks that I couldn't resist touching. Never had there been a more beautiful person than her. "Marie," I whispered, burying my face into the crook of her neck. "I love you."

She stiffened, and then went limp underneath me. Her hand came up and ran itself through my hair. "Oh, Adrian," she sighed. "I care about you more than I've ever cared about someone before. You know that, right?"

I wanted to hear her say that she loved me too, but what she'd said was close enough so I let it slide. "Yeah, I do. You aren't going anywhere. I won't let you."

She laughed quietly. "No, Adrian. I'm not going anywhere."


	20. Author's notePLEASE READ

Author's Note.

Hello fellow earthlings! So I've recently discovered this new website called and it's like fanfiction but the stories are all original stories so I've posted one of mine on there called Angels and I would REALLY appreciate if you'd check it out my username/pen name is The Undecisive Thinker and this is a brief summary of the story to get you interested:

After a not-so-accidental boat crash deprives 17 year old Rashelle Malus of her immediate family, she is sent to a desolate town in Wyoming to live with her uncle and unfriendly cousin, where she quickly learns that small towns do indeed have the most dangerous secrets.

If you like books like "fallen" or other fallen angel stories you'll like mine the grammar is WAYY better than this fan fiction so please please please with a cherry on top check it out! I'll post the link below...just copy and paste it into your browser. Thank you! 3 3 3

.com/s/2978446/1/Angels

If the link doesn't work for whatever reason my story is on the first page in the fantasy section. It's the second from the top...called Angels...READ IT OR CHUCK NORRIS WILL GO APE SHIT ON YOUR ASSES.


	21. Chapter 21

Marie P.O.V

I entered the cafeteria, hand in hand with one of the most irritating, irresponsible and completely foolish Moroi to ever have walked the earth. And, God damn it, I loved him. I don't really know how or when that happened, but Adrian was right. I was stuck with him now. Even if I left him or he left me, we'd always be a part of each other.

Adrian bent down and kissed me. "I have to get some blood. Care to join me?"

I rolled my eyes. "Stop joking about it."

"I'm not. I'm very serious. I wouldn't mind sharing with you. I think it'd be hot."

I wrinkled my nose at him even though the offer of blood, of human blood and not the animal stuff I drank, made me salivate. "The only fix I'm getting this morning is some hot coffee."

"Suit yourself."

He winked at me and walked away. I got my coffee, added some sugar because I felt sluggish, and headed towards the table where I usually sat with the rest of my friends. Then I saw him. My brother. I debated sneaking out and was about to do just that when he raised his head and met my eyes with his own silver-green ones. A wry sort of smile lit of his tanned face and I sighed inwardly before making my way over to him.

"Hey, guys," I said to Rose, Lissa, and Christian. "And Daniel," I tacked on.

"You didn't tell us you had a brother," Rose said.

"She doesn't like me," Daniel said, sipping at his coffee. "Probably because I'm everyone's favourite."

He smiled angelically at me and I wanted nothing more than to pour my coffee all over his dirty-blond hair. I saw Rose eying him and I sincerely hoped that nothing would go on between them. All of my friends had always told me that my brother was attractive. I would usually suggest that they go buy glasses. I mean, yeah he was tan and tall and his hair was this shade of caramel that almost hit blond, but he was my _brother_. Nothing attractive about him.

"You didn't bring mom, did you?" I asked suspiciously. By bring, I meant tell, and from the way he looked at me I knew he understood what I meant.

"No, but she's probably going to drop by and visit for Christmas, tomorrow, anyways. You know how she is. Expect presents."

"Great. I needed some more socks."

He grinned and leaned back on his chair. Most siblings would've hugged after not seeing the other for months. Bantering was our only form of affection. Daniel turned to Rose and shot her a smile that was probably supposed to be charming. I only looked heavenwards and asked what I'd don't to deserve him. Rose, however, appeared mystified.

"So, I've been hearing about this dance tonight."

"Our schools having a dance for the older students. Christmas themed."

He pouted and Rose...she did something inexcusable. She giggled. Rose. Giggled. I hadn't even known that such a thing was possible. "I have no date."

Eddie chose that moment to appear and I couldn't have been happier. "Well, I'm taking my boyfriend, Lissa's taking hers and Eddie's taking Rose, so you'll have to go alone. Or just, you know, don't come at all."

Eddie looked confused and I hoped that he hadn't asked anyone else to the dance since I'd made up the part about him taking Rose just so that my brother would quite flirting with her. Eddie looked over at Rose and raised his eyebrows. "Looks like your my date."

"I could do worse," she replied. Satisfied, I smiled into my coffee and stole a muffin off the tray of food that my brother had gathered. He glared at me for my appalling thievery—then his eyes went serious.

"We have to talk, later," he said. I fidgeted in my seat and wished that he hadn't mentioned it here, in front of everyone.

"Yup," I said easily, trying to make it seem like it wasn't a big deal. My boyfriend plopped down beside me and, thankfully, provided my brother with a momentary distraction.

"Who are you?" My brother asked petulantly. Adrian pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and then draped his arm over my shoulder. I watched, horrified, as Adrian nonchalantly blew the smoke into my brother's face.

"Adrian, you can't smoke in here! You're going to get kicked out."

"I'm above the rules."

"That excuse is getting old."

He smiled at me and put the cigarette out on the table. I shot him a berating look and turned to my brother. "This is Adrian."

My brother peered at him. "Have we met before?"

Adrian shrugged. "If we have, I must've been too drunk to remember it."

I racked my brains and remembered that my brother had been at the same party as Adrian and I, when we first met. He'd also been there when I'd started crying my eyes out after the Moroi whom I'd had a very inappropriate session in the bathroom with had never come back after he said he would. I hoped that my brother wouldn't recognize him.

My brother continued to exam Adrian for a very, very long time. Then he turned to me. "You're dating _him_? Seriously? Is this a joke?"

"You can't tell me what to do."

"You spent hours crying your eyes out because of him, and know you're dating him? Are you stupid?"

I picked at my muffin. "That was a long time ago."

"Long time ago, my ass—,"

"Excuse me, but when did you become my mother? Last I checked, I didn't have to listen to you. Just because you're older doesn't mean you tell me what to do."

"I'm just stating the obvious—,"

"Shut up! I swear, you are so annoying! You can't just come in here and act like you're the boss."

"Well, someone has to be the mature one and since you're obviously too childish—,"

"You? Mature? Tell me, were you dropped on your head as a baby or are you just stupid?"

"I'm telling mom."

"Go ahead! She can't do anything—she's halfway across the world."

"She won't be tomorrow."

"I still don't see your point. So she stays for a few days—big deal. She'll get over it and live."

I felt Adrian touch my shoulder. "I'd like to say something—,"

Daniel and I both turned to him and, simultaneously, yelled, "Shut up!"

Adrian blinked, then turned to the rest of the table. "That was freaky."

Annoyed, I stood up, grabbed my coffee, and left. God damn my brother. I swear, he made me so angry that I wanted to gouge his tongue out with a rusty fork.

I went into my room and sat down on the bed. I resigned myself to an afternoon of lazing around until the dance and was about to change into something more comfortable, but my phone rang. I almost didn't answer it but habit forced me to.

"Hello?"

"We're coming for you. Tonight."

I closed my eyes at the man's voice. Not just any man. My father. And not just any father, one who happened to be a Strigoi and was hell bent on finding and killing my brother and I. Suddenly, at that moment, I was pissed and fed up. Fed up of living my life on the run, fearing that someone would figure out what I was. Fed up of having to hunt animals whenever the urge for blood drove me crazy. Fed up of having my father call me every so often to remind me that he was still alive.

"Good luck with that, you bastard."

"Is that any way to talk to your father?"

"You are not my father, you distrusting piece of shit. You know what—I hope you find me tonight, because when you do, I'll be ready and nothing will give me greater pleasure than finally driving a stake through your heart."

He chuckled. "You already failed at killing me once, daughter, how will you succeed this time?"

"Because this time, I won't be alone," I whispered. "I'm not fourteen anymore. I'm stronger and faster and this time, I'll have people with me. People who hate Strigoi as much as I do."

"You hate a part of yourself, and that is why you will never defeat me. Because you are denying yourself access to your powers."

"I don't have powers," I snapped quickly—too quickly.

"Then why do the elements yield to your control? How is it that you can use spirit to compel people? That you can start fires and create water and move wind and grow plants?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said shakily. He laughed.

"Face it, daughter, you can't win this."

"Yes I can!" I yelled. "And when I kill you, it will be slow and painful and I will enjoy every moment of it."

I hung up on him and, in a moment of foolish outrage, flung the phone across the room. It broke upon impact with the wall. I sneered at nothing in particular and felt the seeds of determination plant themselves in me. I wouldn't let him beat me. Not this time. This time, when I staked him, he wouldn't get back up.


	22. Chapter 22

Marie P.O.V

I told my brother about the phone call. I was still annoyed with him and, judging from his frown, he was miffed at me but we had to set aside our differences—even though there were many—and cooperate.

We'd met outside, in a small meadow that I'd discovered behind the school. It was guarded by a copse of trees and was secluded enough that no students stumbled upon it by mistake. I always came here to hunt. Deer, mostly. The occasional cougar, but only when they bothered me. I didn't like hunting predatory animals, besides, deer were overpopulating the area.

I shivered against the December wind and stared at my brother some more. "What do we do?"

He shrugged and jammed his hands into his pockets. "There's nothing we can do except wait. I bet you he's bluffing. He wouldn't attack a school this heavily guarded. He's too much of a coward."

"But what if he does?" I asked in a small, uncertain voice. My brother glanced over at me and draped his arm across my shoulders. I let it stay, but only for a few seconds. There was only so much brotherly affection I could take.

"Then we kill him," he said simply. As if it were that easy. "Don't worry about it for now, Marie. Like I said, I doubt he'll actually show up. Get ready for the dance. Enjoy yourself."

I looked up at the night sky, then back down at the snow-blanketed ground. "I'm worried, Daniel. I like it here. I don't want him to ruin it for me."

"He won't," my brother growled, a steely glint coming over his eyes. "He won't get anywhere near you."

Then his face relaxed and his tone changed. "Now go on—go get ready for the dance. You know you take hours."

"No I don't," I grumbled. Although getting into my dress would probably take at least thirty minutes. It didn't exactly allow for breathing. Or moving. Or blinking.

But I headed back to the Academy anyways. Besides, Lissa and Rose were waiting for me. We were going to get ready together and I was already scared. Lissa had mentioned something about a flat iron and, let me just say it now, there was no way in hell that I was letting her near my curls with that evil, heated contraption.

I stopped by my room, grabbed my make-up, dress, shoes and accessories, and made my way over to Lissa's room. It was bigger than mine or Rose's. Probably because she was 1) Moroi and 2) the last living descendant of her bloodline.

"Knock knock," I called out as I went into her room. She had already started her torture on Rose and was twisting and braiding her long, dark locks into some sort of intricate up-do. Lissa was a master when it came to all things hair. She smiled at me when I walked in. Her pale, green eyes were excited but Rose, well, she didn't look too happy to be sitting there.

"How long have you been at it?" I asked.

"Not long," Lissa said at the same time that Rose said "too damn long."

I smirked, set my stuff down and plopped onto Lissa's bed. I watched her fingers move deftly through Rose's hair and was impressed by the masterpiece she created. Rose looked positively elegant. Her hair was twisted, braided, curled and pinned up in a loose bun that allowed tendrils to delicately frame her face. Lissa set the look with an unhealthy amount of hairspray and smiled when Rose swore like a sailor and choked on the air.

"I'll do your make-up after I tackle Marie's hair," Lissa promised. Rose shot her a dark look.

"I can do my own damn make-up, Lis."

"I know you can. But I want to. You promised."

Rose threw her hands up and looked at me. "She's insane, Marie. Insane."

Lissa waved a curling iron at her best friend, then used the same iron to motion me to sit in front of her. I did so hesitantly and cringed when she focused three large mirrors on my face.

"Up or down?" She mused to herself. "Your dress is strapless, right?"

"Yeah. But I want my hair down."

"But if you wore it up your shoulders would look great."

"I hate wearing my hair up."

I met Lissa's eyes in the mirror and smiled at her frown. She huffed out a breath and started on my hair. I winced every time she touched it. The thing with my hair was that it refused to be brushed or styled in any way unless it was wet. Once it dried, it would not be manhandled. Lissa realized this, disappeared and returned with a spray bottle. She dampened my hair and continued her work. I closed my eyes and drifted into sleep while she gently did God knows what to my curls.

It felt like I'd only been asleep for a few seconds before someone poked my shoulder. I woke with a jump and looked around guiltily. "I wasn't...oh, wow."

I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and thought that Lissa had indeed, done a fabulous job on my hair. She had found a compromise that allowed my shoulders to show off while my hair was still down. Well, to be more specific, only one shoulder was shown off. She taken all of the hair on my right side, twisted it back and pinned it down so that all of my curls swept over my left shoulder. That left my right shoulder bare but, like I'd requested, my hair wasn't up. Then, she'd threaded a bunch of silver flowers through the curls and had fastened glittering clips everywhere. I looked...great.

"Do you like it?" Lissa demanded. I nodded and felt a goofy smile slide across my face.

"Damn, Lissa. You have magic hands."

"Christian probably thinks that too," Rose muttered from her spot on the bed. I laughed at the blush in Lissa's cheeks and renounced my perch to Rose as Lissa started working on her again. Make-up, this time. Not hair. Rose's dress was exactly as I remembered it to be. Floor length, deep red in colour, with no sleeves but a turtleneck. It looked faintly Asian and the bun showcased every beautiful feature of the dress.

Lissa had decided to go with the Asian theme and gave Rose a very Oriental looking make-over. That included winged out eyeliner, and red toned eye shadows that matched her dress. She'd painted her lips a dark cherry colour and had applied bronzer in a way that made Rose's already excellent cheekbones even more prominent. I squirmed into my dress while I waited for my turn and admired myself in the bathroom mirror. It was lovely. Tight, silver-ish-grey in colour, but with a slit up the side that went dangerously high on my thigh. At least I would be able to show off the shoes I'd picked to go along with it. Strappy, silver little things with stake like heels.

Since Rose had a fondness for shoes, I'd brought her a pair as well because she didn't really own many high heels. That depressed me. The ones I'd brought her were more on the elegant side and were the colour of blood.

"Marie," Lissa called out in a sing-song voice. "Your turn."

I internally groaned and left the bathroom. Rose made my jaw drop. If I were a guy, or a lesbian, I would have been all over her. She was beautiful. Too beautiful.

I shook my head at her and sat down in front of Lissa, resigned. She just stared at me for a moment, as if I were a sculpture that she was analyzing.

"Your dress, hair and shoes are so vibrant that I don't want your make-up to compete with it," she informed me. "So we're going to keep it pretty neutral."

I just nodded and let her do whatever the heck she wanted. When she was done, my eyes were rimmed in black eyeliner, my lips were a shiny, pale pink and my cheeks were faintly red. She'd done the bronzer trick on me as well, so my cheekbones looked pretty damn good. To finish off the look, she lightly brushed something shimmery over my eyelids. Both her and Rose stared at me in a disconcerting way as I stood up.

"What?" I asked, suddenly self-conscious. Rose snorted.

"You're like, really pretty," she informed me.

"So are you."

"Yeah, but you're like...BAM!"

I just stared at her. "Are you drunk?"

She smiled. "Not, just honest."

I rolled my eyes at her and looked at Lissa. Then I looked back at Rose. Then back at Lissa. "Who's going to do your hair and make-up?"

"I will," the Moroi informed me. I grinned slyly at her and, as if we shared a mind, Rose and I pounced on her.

"Not a chance," Rose informed her. "Marie, you're on make-up duty."

"Got it."

After we playfully wrestled her into her dress, we sat her down and got to work. Her dress was a simple, short and flowly little thing with spaghetti straps. It was the colour of grass after a rainfall and suited Lissa's natural beauty perfectly. Rose and I got to work on the princess and, when she was done, she looked like a runway model. She definitely had the body to be one, unlike Rose and myself. I glanced at all three of us in a nearby mirror and grinned. We were damn hot.

"You do realize that we were supposed to be at the party an hour ago?" Rose asked. Lissa and I shrugged and slid our shoes on. Rose already had her—my—heels on.

"The boys can survive without us for a while," I said, even though the thought of seeing Adrian, hopefully in a suit, twisted my stomach in nervous knots. I'd never seen him in a suit but he would have looked good in one.

I reached out to the bond, found it unclear and sighed when I realized that Adrian must not have been completely sober. Not that he was ever completely sober, but still.

"Ready to head out?" I asked. The two other girls nodded and we left together, with out arms linked within each other's. I didn't know that that night would be the last time I stepped into Lissa's room.


End file.
